Average Salaries in Roanoke, VA
Explore salaries across 391 occupations in Roanoke, VA. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $65K, -1.2% 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: 391 occupations and 144,880 total jobs in Roanoke, VA.
How the metro compares
Wages in Roanoke, VA track close to the national average. Pay for most occupations here is similar to what workers earn nationally.
Roanoke, VA is a smaller metro labor market. Some occupations may have limited local demand.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is Anesthesiologists. 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 Roanoke, 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 Roanoke, VA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Anesthesiologists | $488.3K | N/A |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | $346.9K | 70 |
| Psychiatrists | $295K | 70 |
| Chief Executives | $258.3K | 100 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $227.3K | 90 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224.4K | 230 |
| Pediatricians, General | $220K | 70 |
| Marketing Managers | $165K | 160 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $164.9K | 270 |
| Financial Managers | $158K | 490 |
Largest occupations in Roanoke, VA
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,670 | $80.1K |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,230 | $30.4K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 3,610 | $27.7K |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers And Fabricators | 3,560 | $44.9K |
| Cashiers | 3,380 | $29.1K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 3,260 | $34.9K |
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 3,100 | $46.2K |
| General And Operations Managers | 3,090 | $98.1K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,760 | $45.5K |
| Heavy And Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,760 | $56.4K |
What Roanoke, 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 Roanoke, VA than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Most concentrated occupations in Roanoke, VA
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral Attendants | 5.77 | $28.4K |
| Orthotists And Prosthetists | 5.15 | $98.4K |
| Paving, Surfacing, And Tamping Equipment Operators | 3.85 | $47.6K |
| Telecommunications Line Installers And Repairers | 3.39 | $82.2K |
| Forensic Science Technicians | 3.36 | $65.6K |
| Medical Appliance Technicians | 3.25 | $44.9K |
| Cardiologists | 3.22 | N/A |
| Extruding And Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, And Tenders, Metal And Plastic | 3.17 | $40.5K |
| Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers | 3.13 | $56.4K |
| Obstetricians And Gynecologists | 3.13 | $346.9K |
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 Roanoke, 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.