Highest-Paying Jobs Without a College Degree in Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads) (2025 BLS Data)
- The median wage for all jobs in Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads) was $49,430 in May 2025, below the U.S. median of $50,980.
- The best-paid job here that typically needs only a high school diploma or less was transportation, storage, and distribution managers, at a median of $108,430.
- Short training programs and associate’s degrees open another tier, led by dental hygienists at $98,890.
You don’t need a four-year degree to earn well in Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads). Using the federal government’s most recent occupational wage survey (BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC)) and the education level BLS lists as typical for entry into each job (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35), here are the best-paying jobs in the metro area that don’t require a bachelor’s degree. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC had about 763,060 wage and salary jobs in the survey.
Top-paying jobs that need a high school diploma or less
Jobs with at least 300 positions in the metro area, ranked by median annual wage. The last column shows the national median for comparison.
| Occupation | Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $108,430 | 630 | $107,230 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $97,200 | 590 | $106,040 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $93,790 | 460 | $93,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $91,080 | 1,450 | $87,520 |
| Home Appliance Repairers | $81,000 | 320 | $50,990 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $80,950 | 6,140 | $79,920 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $79,660 | 3,360 | $79,860 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $79,620 | 2,510 | $74,450 |
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $76,350 | 530 | $51,610 |
| Crane and Tower Operators | $71,400 | 430 | $68,080 |
| Real Estate Brokers | $70,800 | 390 | $73,220 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $68,350 | 420 | $95,320 |
Many of these jobs pay well because they come with long on-the-job training, licensing, physical risk or irregular hours. Several are skilled trades that train through paid apprenticeships.
Top-paying jobs that need a certificate or associate’s degree
Jobs where BLS lists a postsecondary certificate, some college or an associate’s degree as the typical entry credential:
| Occupation | Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads) median | Jobs | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Hygienists | $98,890 | 940 | $98,100 |
| Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | $96,870 | 1,430 | $78,190 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers | $87,530 | 730 | $93,530 |
| Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | $86,940 | 2,050 | $92,460 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographers | $86,630 | 370 | $96,590 |
| Ship Engineers | $82,370 | 1,420 | $109,530 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $80,990 | 710 | $82,280 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $80,450 | 650 | $79,870 |
The most common jobs in Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads), for context
The largest occupations by employment, and what they pay locally:
| Occupation | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $28,780 | 22,520 |
| Retail Salespersons | $30,820 | 20,890 |
| General and Operations Managers | $100,340 | 17,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $89,450 | 16,870 |
| Cashiers | $29,320 | 16,840 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $39,160 | 13,920 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $35,120 | 13,750 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $28,420 | 13,650 |
How to use these numbers
- Medians are midpoints. Half of workers in each job earn more and half earn less; new workers usually start well below the median.
- Overtime is not included. BLS wage estimates exclude overtime pay and shift differentials, so jobs with heavy overtime often pay more in practice (see the OEWS technical notes).
- Check the training path. “Typical entry education” is what most new workers have; licenses and apprenticeships may still be required.
Published October 30, 2026. Sources are linked in the text.
Header image: original chart by JobPayRaise.com using BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
Comments (1)
One more data point from the same survey: the occupation most concentrated in Virginia Beach-Norfolk (Hampton Roads) relative to the nation is ship engineers, with a location quotient of 34.36. That means those jobs make up about 34.36 times as large a share of local employment as they do nationally. There are about 1,420 of them locally, at a median of $82,370. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan-area data (includes Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC). Location quotients compare each job’s share of local employment with its share nationally (see BLS OEWS overview).
— JobPayRaise Data Desk