Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Virginia Beach Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area
Figures describe the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Virginia Beach city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (10 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 593 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologists | $500,990 | $240.86 | Not published |
| 2 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $478,700 | $230.15 | Not published |
| 3 | Cardiologists | $430,900 | $207.16 | 230 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $297,350 | $142.96 | 530 |
| 5 | Psychiatrists | $277,010 | $133.18 | 50 |
| 6 | Physicians, All Other | $266,280 | $128.02 | 1,050 |
| 7 | Surgeons, All Other | $252,140 | $121.22 | 30 |
| 8 | Radiologists | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | Not published |
| 9 | Nurse Anesthetists | $233,060 | $112.05 | Not published |
| 10 | Family Medicine Physicians | $213,690 | $102.73 | 560 |
| 11 | Dentists, General | $177,400 | $85.29 | 720 |
| 12 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $170,560 | $82.00 | 1,360 |
| 13 | Financial Managers | $163,940 | $78.82 | 2,290 |
| 14 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $161,340 | $77.57 | 750 |
| 15 | Sales Managers | $158,750 | $76.32 | 1,270 |
| 16 | Marketing Managers | $155,300 | $74.66 | 610 |
| 17 | Public Relations Managers | $152,990 | $73.55 | 200 |
| 18 | Purchasing Managers | $143,230 | $68.86 | 500 |
| 19 | Managers, All Other | $143,230 | $68.86 | 2,300 |
| 20 | Human Resources Managers | $140,410 | $67.51 | 680 |
| 21 | Aerospace Engineers | $139,010 | $66.83 | 800 |
| 22 | Podiatrists | $138,700 | $66.68 | 60 |
| 23 | Engineers, All Other | $138,590 | $66.63 | 1,250 |
| 24 | Pharmacists | $136,280 | $65.52 | 1,470 |
| 25 | Psychologists, All Other | $135,470 | $65.13 | 110 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Virginia Beach metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.