High paying jobs in Charlottesville, VA

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Charlottesville, VA. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Charlottesville, VA run 0.9% below the national average (2024), so a Charlottesville, VA salary is worth about 1.01× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Charlottesville, VA

OccupationMedian, Charlottesville, VA · Employed

1Chief Executives$317,900
Bachelor's degree
$139,670 – $645,330180
2Physicians, All Other$286,090
Doctoral or professional degree
$222,860 – $320,3401,000
3Nurse Anesthetists$241,460
Master's degree
$187,730 – $310,60060
4Financial Managers$170,250
Bachelor's degree
$103,890 – $293,800450
5Sales Managers$169,390
Bachelor's degree
$91,200 – $288,300210
6Architectural and Engineering Managers$168,400
Bachelor's degree
$129,970 – $217,67090
7Marketing Managers$165,980
Bachelor's degree
$98,440 – $278,130120
8Computer and Information Systems Managers$163,230
Bachelor's degree
$112,030 – $240,600390
9Dentists, General$162,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$121,330 – $293,190130
10Human Resources Managers$155,290
Bachelor's degree
$99,470 – $234,780150
11Engineers, All Other$153,340
Bachelor's degree
$101,340 – $190,84050
12Purchasing Managers$150,260
Bachelor's degree
$108,220 – $226,20070
13Lawyers$149,430
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,770 – $289,550390
14Physicists$148,950
Doctoral or professional degree
$86,920 – $229,57050
15Computer Occupations, All Other$144,580
Bachelor's degree
$67,850 – $185,950220
16Physical Scientists, All Other$144,580
Bachelor's degree
$98,520 – $185,950100
17Computer and Information Research Scientists$144,580
Master's degree
$93,190 – $220,32040
18Nurse Practitioners$142,950
Master's degree
$111,560 – $185,920480
19Pharmacists$142,220
Doctoral or professional degree
$130,800 – $182,400320
20Managers, All Other$141,770
Bachelor's degree
$87,090 – $222,240440
21Public Relations Managers$140,170
Bachelor's degree
$99,820 – $227,180140
22Legal Support Workers, All Other$139,240
Associate's degree
$60,860 – $195,19040
23Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$135,930
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,130 – $219,130130
24Physician Assistants$133,540
Master's degree
$115,330 – $164,880130
25Medical and Health Services Managers$131,540
Bachelor's degree
$83,360 – $229,680370
26Software Developers$128,520
Bachelor's degree
$81,200 – $196,2401,390
27Veterinarians$127,460
Doctoral or professional degree
$57,620 – $220,28090
28Personal Financial Advisors$126,940
Bachelor's degree
$55,660 – $424,320200
29Information Security Analysts$126,340
Bachelor's degree
$74,610 – $187,450210
30Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$125,980
Bachelor's degree
$77,840 – $168,160140
31Natural Sciences Managers$124,800
Bachelor's degree
$84,080 – $190,42080
32Database Architects$122,780
Bachelor's degree
$91,630 – $178,36080
33Electrical Engineers$122,600
Bachelor's degree
$86,120 – $175,000110
34Industrial Production Managers$120,380
Bachelor's degree
$83,000 – $194,29050
35Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$119,430
Bachelor's degree
$66,240 – $149,430350
36Computer Network Architects$116,340
Bachelor's degree
$68,820 – $194,700110
37Computer Hardware Engineers$113,510
Bachelor's degree
$87,210 – $177,81040
38Facilities Managers$111,800
Bachelor's degree
$65,050 – $177,990100
39Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$111,060
Bachelor's degree
$76,160 – $161,150130
40Computer Systems Analysts$110,290
Bachelor's degree
$68,740 – $133,940450
41Construction Managers$108,540
Bachelor's degree
$83,370 – $170,160240
42Administrative Services Managers$107,780
Bachelor's degree
$72,170 – $179,420230
43Dental Hygienists$107,690
Associate's degree
$96,940 – $130,120120
44General and Operations Managers$107,200
Bachelor's degree
$54,990 – $224,8602,530
45Electronics Engineers, Except Computer$106,980
Bachelor's degree
$72,330 – $170,850110
46Mechanical Engineers$106,130
Bachelor's degree
$67,660 – $166,480170
47Financial and Investment Analysts$105,210
Bachelor's degree
$74,560 – $177,500180
48Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$104,570
Master's degree
$56,490 – $132,440200
49Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$103,070
Master's degree
$69,870 – $153,380280
50Physical Therapists$102,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$78,310 – $132,050260

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianCharlottesville, VA	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$317,900	$139,670 – $645,330	180
2	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$286,090	$222,860 – $320,340	1,000
3	Nurse AnesthetistsMaster's degree	$241,460	$187,730 – $310,600	60
4	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$170,250	$103,890 – $293,800	450
5	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$169,390	$91,200 – $288,300	210
6	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$168,400	$129,970 – $217,670	90
7	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$165,980	$98,440 – $278,130	120
8	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$163,230	$112,030 – $240,600	390
9	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$162,400	$121,330 – $293,190	130
10	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$155,290	$99,470 – $234,780	150
11	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$153,340	$101,340 – $190,840	50
12	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$150,260	$108,220 – $226,200	70
13	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$149,430	$75,770 – $289,550	390
14	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$148,950	$86,920 – $229,570	50
15	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$144,580	$67,850 – $185,950	220
16	Physical Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$144,580	$98,520 – $185,950	100
17	Computer and Information Research ScientistsMaster's degree	$144,580	$93,190 – $220,320	40
18	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$142,950	$111,560 – $185,920	480
19	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$142,220	$130,800 – $182,400	320
20	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$141,770	$87,090 – $222,240	440
21	Public Relations ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,170	$99,820 – $227,180	140
22	Legal Support Workers, All OtherAssociate's degree	$139,240	$60,860 – $195,190	40
23	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$135,930	$77,130 – $219,130	130
24	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$133,540	$115,330 – $164,880	130
25	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$131,540	$83,360 – $229,680	370
26	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$128,520	$81,200 – $196,240	1,390
27	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$127,460	$57,620 – $220,280	90
28	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$126,940	$55,660 – $424,320	200
29	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$126,340	$74,610 – $187,450	210
30	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$125,980	$77,840 – $168,160	140
31	Natural Sciences ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,800	$84,080 – $190,420	80
32	Database ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$122,780	$91,630 – $178,360	80
33	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$122,600	$86,120 – $175,000	110
34	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$120,380	$83,000 – $194,290	50
35	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$119,430	$66,240 – $149,430	350
36	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$116,340	$68,820 – $194,700	110
37	Computer Hardware EngineersBachelor's degree	$113,510	$87,210 – $177,810	40
38	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$111,800	$65,050 – $177,990	100
39	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$111,060	$76,160 – $161,150	130
40	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$110,290	$68,740 – $133,940	450
41	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$108,540	$83,370 – $170,160	240
42	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$107,780	$72,170 – $179,420	230
43	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$107,690	$96,940 – $130,120	120
44	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$107,200	$54,990 – $224,860	2,530
45	Electronics Engineers, Except ComputerBachelor's degree	$106,980	$72,330 – $170,850	110
46	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$106,130	$67,660 – $166,480	170
47	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$105,210	$74,560 – $177,500	180
48	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$104,570	$56,490 – $132,440	200
49	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$103,070	$69,870 – $153,380	280
50	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$102,400	$78,310 – $132,050	260

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Charlottesville, VA. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Charlottesville, VA to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Charlottesville, VA

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