Average Salaries in Charlottesville, VA
Explore salaries across 347 occupations in Charlottesville, VA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $70.6K, +7.3% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates. Coverage: 347 occupations and 96,720 total jobs in Charlottesville, VA.
How the metro compares
Charlottesville, VA pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Charlottesville, VA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Chief Executives. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Charlottesville, VA
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Highest-paid occupations in Charlottesville, VA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $317.9K | 180 |
| Physicians, All Other | $286.1K | 1,000 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $241.5K | 60 |
| Financial Managers | $170.3K | 450 |
| Sales Managers | $169.4K | 210 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $168.4K | 90 |
| Marketing Managers | $166K | 120 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $163.2K | 390 |
| Dentists, General | $162.4K | 130 |
| Human Resources Managers | $155.3K | 150 |
Largest occupations in Charlottesville, VA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 3,040 | $99.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 2,800 | $30.2K |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,540 | $34.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 2,530 | $107.2K |
| Waiters And Waitresses | 2,140 | $44K |
| Cashiers | 2,110 | $30.9K |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,080 | $45.6K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 1,970 | $29.7K |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,610 | $44.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 1,530 | $35.7K |
What Charlottesville, VA specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Charlottesville, VA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Charlottesville, VA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Social Scientists And Related Workers, All Other | 12.76 | $119.4K |
| Physical Scientists, All Other | 6.25 | $144.6K |
| Survey Researchers | 6.24 | $74K |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 5.74 | $65.5K |
| Biological Technicians | 5.50 | $66.6K |
| Social Science Research Assistants | 4.95 | $53.3K |
| Physicians, All Other | 3.97 | $286.1K |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, And Still Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders | 3.75 | $56K |
| Fundraising Managers | 3.71 | N/A |
| Physicists | 3.62 | $149K |
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $98.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $95.7K | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $92.6K | Cardiologists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $87.1K | Cardiologists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $83.8K | Radiologists |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $82.7K | Radiologists |
| Boulder, CO | $82.3K | Surgeons, All Other |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $82.3K | Radiologists |
Common salary questions for Charlottesville, VA
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.