High paying jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC run 2.1% below the national average (2024), so a Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC salary is worth about 1.02× 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

OccupationMedian, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · Employed

1Chief Executives$297,350
Bachelor's degree
$124,010 – $612,350530
2Physicians, All Other$266,280
Doctoral or professional degree
$93,350 – $386,7601,050
3Family Medicine Physicians$213,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,550 – $662,920560
4Dentists, General$177,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$106,470 – $298,950720
5Computer and Information Systems Managers$170,560
Bachelor's degree
$110,140 – $263,3201,360
6Financial Managers$163,940
Bachelor's degree
$93,280 – $275,8502,290
7Architectural and Engineering Managers$161,340
Bachelor's degree
$126,380 – $216,030750
8Sales Managers$158,750
Bachelor's degree
$78,410 – $285,2001,270
9Marketing Managers$155,300
Bachelor's degree
$96,330 – $248,570610
10Managers, All Other$143,230
Bachelor's degree
$104,040 – $193,2502,300
11Purchasing Managers$143,230
Bachelor's degree
$104,260 – $201,000500
12Human Resources Managers$140,410
Bachelor's degree
$99,270 – $217,170680
13Aerospace Engineers$139,010
Bachelor's degree
$92,930 – $193,250800
14Engineers, All Other$138,590
Bachelor's degree
$83,660 – $188,2801,250
15Pharmacists$136,280
Doctoral or professional degree
$109,810 – $166,4001,470
16Database Architects$135,130
Bachelor's degree
$92,260 – $175,580490
17Lawyers$133,380
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,690 – $313,6802,280
18Computer and Information Research Scientists$132,870
Master's degree
$87,340 – $181,400460
19Computer Hardware Engineers$131,710
Bachelor's degree
$81,700 – $193,040280
20Industrial Production Managers$130,850
Bachelor's degree
$88,400 – $208,910380
21Software Developers$129,090
Bachelor's degree
$80,090 – $178,8307,160
22Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary$127,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$65,060 – $215,090360
23Physician Assistants$126,430
Master's degree
$96,360 – $172,860780
24Information Security Analysts$126,030
Bachelor's degree
$74,670 – $174,3301,490
25Nurse Practitioners$124,530
Master's degree
$101,530 – $143,5301,300
26Medical and Health Services Managers$123,900
Bachelor's degree
$67,800 – $207,1602,210
27Veterinarians$122,010
Doctoral or professional degree
$54,850 – $212,610500
28Administrative Services Managers$120,330
Bachelor's degree
$74,400 – $188,700390
29Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$119,270
Bachelor's degree
$61,410 – $165,770400
30Physical Scientists, All Other$117,640
Bachelor's degree
$65,670 – $193,250310
31Education Administrators, All Other$117,640
Bachelor's degree
$53,680 – $147,740240
32Computer Occupations, All Other$116,920
Bachelor's degree
$75,030 – $152,5703,490
33Operations Research Analysts$114,070
Bachelor's degree
$65,040 – $164,280470
34Computer Network Architects$111,030
Bachelor's degree
$77,670 – $172,840920
35Physicists$110,930
Doctoral or professional degree
$92,930 – $191,360240
36Nuclear Engineers$110,510
Bachelor's degree
$77,520 – $160,6201,260
37Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$108,430
High school diploma or equivalent
$73,780 – $175,120630
38Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$107,910
Bachelor's degree
$75,030 – $139,030440
39Facilities Managers$107,720
Bachelor's degree
$73,570 – $173,710470
40Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$105,970
Bachelor's degree
$69,300 – $152,580720
41Construction Managers$105,240
Bachelor's degree
$77,250 – $161,8401,400
42Project Management Specialists$104,920
Bachelor's degree
$62,550 – $166,1806,040
43Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$104,050
Master's degree
$79,300 – $129,4101,590
44Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$104,000
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,180 – $213,830290
45Business Teachers, Postsecondary$103,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$42,440 – $281,030480
46Computer Systems Analysts$103,760
Bachelor's degree
$68,660 – $185,1002,290
47Web Developers$103,440
Bachelor's degree
$62,060 – $162,840400
48Electrical Engineers$103,210
Bachelor's degree
$79,820 – $152,5801,410
49Computer Programmers$103,070
Bachelor's degree
$66,150 – $153,350280
50Environmental Engineers$102,110
Bachelor's degree
$66,820 – $139,030270

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

#	Occupation	MedianVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$297,350	$124,010 – $612,350	530
2	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$266,280	$93,350 – $386,760	1,050
3	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$213,690	$63,550 – $662,920	560
4	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$177,400	$106,470 – $298,950	720
5	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$170,560	$110,140 – $263,320	1,360
6	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$163,940	$93,280 – $275,850	2,290
7	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$161,340	$126,380 – $216,030	750
8	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$158,750	$78,410 – $285,200	1,270
9	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$155,300	$96,330 – $248,570	610
10	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$143,230	$104,040 – $193,250	2,300
11	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$143,230	$104,260 – $201,000	500
12	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$140,410	$99,270 – $217,170	680
13	Aerospace EngineersBachelor's degree	$139,010	$92,930 – $193,250	800
14	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$138,590	$83,660 – $188,280	1,250
15	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,280	$109,810 – $166,400	1,470
16	Database ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$135,130	$92,260 – $175,580	490
17	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$133,380	$75,690 – $313,680	2,280
18	Computer and Information Research ScientistsMaster's degree	$132,870	$87,340 – $181,400	460
19	Computer Hardware EngineersBachelor's degree	$131,710	$81,700 – $193,040	280
20	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$130,850	$88,400 – $208,910	380
21	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$129,090	$80,090 – $178,830	7,160
22	Computer Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$127,540	$65,060 – $215,090	360
23	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$126,430	$96,360 – $172,860	780
24	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$126,030	$74,670 – $174,330	1,490
25	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$124,530	$101,530 – $143,530	1,300
26	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$123,900	$67,800 – $207,160	2,210
27	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$122,010	$54,850 – $212,610	500
28	Administrative Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$120,330	$74,400 – $188,700	390
29	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$119,270	$61,410 – $165,770	400
30	Physical Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$117,640	$65,670 – $193,250	310
31	Education Administrators, All OtherBachelor's degree	$117,640	$53,680 – $147,740	240
32	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$116,920	$75,030 – $152,570	3,490
33	Operations Research AnalystsBachelor's degree	$114,070	$65,040 – $164,280	470
34	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$111,030	$77,670 – $172,840	920
35	PhysicistsDoctoral or professional degree	$110,930	$92,930 – $191,360	240
36	Nuclear EngineersBachelor's degree	$110,510	$77,520 – $160,620	1,260
37	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$108,430	$73,780 – $175,120	630
38	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$107,910	$75,030 – $139,030	440
39	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$107,720	$73,570 – $173,710	470
40	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$105,970	$69,300 – $152,580	720
41	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$105,240	$77,250 – $161,840	1,400
42	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$104,920	$62,550 – $166,180	6,040
43	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$104,050	$79,300 – $129,410	1,590
44	Judges, Magistrate Judges, and MagistratesDoctoral or professional degree	$104,000	$62,180 – $213,830	290
45	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$103,860	$42,440 – $281,030	480
46	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,760	$68,660 – $185,100	2,290
47	Web DevelopersBachelor's degree	$103,440	$62,060 – $162,840	400
48	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$103,210	$79,820 – $152,580	1,410
49	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$103,070	$66,150 – $153,350	280
50	Environmental EngineersBachelor's degree	$102,110	$66,820 – $139,030	270

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

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