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

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

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 medical jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

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

1Physicians, All Other$266,280
Doctoral or professional degree
$93,350 – $386,7601,050
2Family Medicine Physicians$213,690
Doctoral or professional degree
$63,550 – $662,920560
3Dentists, General$177,400
Doctoral or professional degree
$106,470 – $298,950720
4Pharmacists$136,280
Doctoral or professional degree
$109,810 – $166,4001,470
5Physician Assistants$126,430
Master's degree
$96,360 – $172,860780
6Nurse Practitioners$124,530
Master's degree
$101,530 – $143,5301,300
7Veterinarians$122,010
Doctoral or professional degree
$54,850 – $212,610500
8Physical Therapists$100,840
Doctoral or professional degree
$67,650 – $128,1501,470
9Surgical Assistants$99,530
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,670 – $126,560270
10Occupational Therapists$99,400
Master's degree
$48,000 – $131,370830
11Dental Hygienists$98,890
Associate's degree
$93,630 – $105,730940
12Speech-Language Pathologists$97,870
Master's degree
$65,450 – $131,040880
13Registered Nurses$89,450
Bachelor's degree
$63,750 – $114,61016,870
14Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$86,630
Associate's degree
$75,620 – $104,770370
15Respiratory Therapists$80,990
Associate's degree
$66,270 – $102,100710
16Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians$78,100
Associate's degree
$39,300 – $118,170610
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$77,290
Associate's degree
$59,930 – $97,4501,050
18Dietitians and Nutritionists$76,600
Bachelor's degree
$50,220 – $98,280310
19Surgical Technologists$65,370
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,540 – $94,000420
20Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,370
Postsecondary nondegree award
$51,230 – $77,3203,410
21Paramedics$64,120
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,360 – $77,280400
22Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$58,860
Bachelor's degree
$38,030 – $82,9501,450
23Opticians, Dispensing$52,390
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,870 – $68,760400
24Medical Records Specialists$50,590
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,200 – $75,600970
25Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$48,370
Associate's degree
$35,490 – $63,090470
26Psychiatric Technicians$47,420
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,210 – $56,0201,150
27Emergency Medical Technicians$45,900
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,400 – $54,870690
28Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$44,350
Postsecondary nondegree award
$37,260 – $74,790840
29Pharmacy Technicians$43,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,340 – $57,6001,990
30Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$42,510
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,120 – $51,520310

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	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$266,280	$93,350 – $386,760	1,050
2	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$213,690	$63,550 – $662,920	560
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$177,400	$106,470 – $298,950	720
4	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$136,280	$109,810 – $166,400	1,470
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$126,430	$96,360 – $172,860	780
6	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$124,530	$101,530 – $143,530	1,300
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$122,010	$54,850 – $212,610	500
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$100,840	$67,650 – $128,150	1,470
9	Surgical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$99,530	$50,670 – $126,560	270
10	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$99,400	$48,000 – $131,370	830
11	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$98,890	$93,630 – $105,730	940
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$97,870	$65,450 – $131,040	880
13	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$89,450	$63,750 – $114,610	16,870
14	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$86,630	$75,620 – $104,770	370
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$80,990	$66,270 – $102,100	710
16	Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$78,100	$39,300 – $118,170	610
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$77,290	$59,930 – $97,450	1,050
18	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$76,600	$50,220 – $98,280	310
19	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$65,370	$39,540 – $94,000	420
20	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,370	$51,230 – $77,320	3,410
21	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,120	$47,360 – $77,280	400
22	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$58,860	$38,030 – $82,950	1,450
23	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,390	$35,870 – $68,760	400
24	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$50,590	$37,200 – $75,600	970
25	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$48,370	$35,490 – $63,090	470
26	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,420	$38,210 – $56,020	1,150
27	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$45,900	$37,400 – $54,870	690
28	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,350	$37,260 – $74,790	840
29	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,930	$36,340 – $57,600	1,990
30	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,510	$36,120 – $51,520	310

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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Without a degree

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 medical jobs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

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