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For Release:
May 23, 2024
Contact:
Virginia Works
Economic Information & Analytics Division
LMI@virginiaworks.gov
(804) 786-7496

Virginia Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics 2023

~ Statewide and Sub-State Estimates Released ~

RICHMOND — Virginia Works (the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement) announced the publication of the 2023 Virginia Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics on Thursday. This Federal-State cooperative program provides annual estimates of employment and wages for over 800 occupations in 22 major occupational groups based on a survey of business establishments. The OEWS survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm and nonmilitary establishments and does not include the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers, or unpaid family workers. In collaboration with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Virginia Works releases comprehensive data covering the entire state, including Virginia's Balance of State (BOS) regions and Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Additionally, utilizing modeling from the Local Employment and Wage Information System (LEWIS), Virginia Works generates estimates for Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs), Planning Regions, and Virginia Community College Regions. An industry breakdown is also available for statewide data up to the four-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code.

Total statewide employment for all occupations was an estimated 3,981,130 in 2023, a 2.8% increase from 2022’s total employment of 3,873,060. Wages in Virginia also increased during this period, with the mean annual wage growing by 6.8% to $70,050 and the median annual wage growing by 3.4% to $49,920. Virginia’s mean annual wage was 7.0% higher than the United States’ mean annual wage of $65,470, with Virginia’s median annual wage also larger than the United States’ $48,060 by 3.9%.

Figure 1 displays the top five major occupational groups in Virginia by employment. Office and Administrative Support Occupations remain the largest statewide occupational group, with over 11% of Virginians employed in those occupations. Employment is largely concentrated not only in that group, but also in Business and Financial Operations Occupations and Sales and Related Occupations, with 30% of statewide employment falling into one of these three categories. In terms of median annual wage, Business and Financial Operations Occupations rank relatively high among occupation groups with a median annual wage of $85,030 while the remaining four out of five top employing occupational groups have a median annual wage below that of the state overall ($49,020).

Figure 1: Top 5 Major Occupation Groups by Employment

graphic

The largest detailed occupations in the state were Fast Food and Counter Workers (96,390 employed), Retail Salespersons (96,360), and Cashiers (93,280). Figure 2 outlines detailed statistics on the top five detailed occupations in the state.

Figure 2: Top 5 Detailed Occupations by Employment

Detailed Occupation

Employment

Mean Hourly Wage

Median Hourly Wage

Mean Annual Wage

Median Annual Wage

Fast Food and Counter Workers

96,390

$14.54

$13.80

$30,250

$28,710

Retail Salespersons

96,360

$17.25

$15.11

$35,880

$31,440

Cashiers

93,280

$14.39

$13.80

$29,920

$28,700

General and Operations Managers

92,650

$66.82

$58.20

$138,980

$121,050

Software Developers

86,680

$67.27

$64.92

$139,920

$135,040

 

Figure 3 graphs statewide median salary by major occupation group. The highest median salary was predictably for Management Occupations at $132,380 (over two and a half times the state’s median salary for all occupations), followed by Computer and Mathematical Occupations at $120,160 and Legal Occupations at $105,820. The lowest median salary reported was for Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations at $30,630, followed by Personal Care and Service Occupations at $33,720 and Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations at $34,100.

Figure 3: Median Salary by Major Occupation Group

graphic

It is important to consider occupational trends across regions of Virginia. Figure 4 gives employment and wage statistics for Virginia’s fourteen Local Workforce Investment Areas (map shown in Appendix B). As expected, the regions with the highest employment were Northern Virginia (1,013,710), Hampton Roads (734,470), and Capital Region Workforce Partnership (578,780). Alexandria/Arlington had the highest wages with a mean annual wage of $100,470 and a median wage of $78,420. Southwestern Virginia had the lowest wages with a mean annual wage of $50,240 and a median annual wage of $40,190.

Figure 4: Employment and Wages by Local Workforce Investment Area

Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA)

Employment

Mean Hourly Wage

Median Hourly Wage

Mean Annual Wage

Median Annual Wage

Southwestern Virginia (LWIA I)

52,480

$24.16

$19.32

$50,240

$40,190

New River/Mt. Rogers (LWIA II)

141,960

$24.97

$20.00

$51,940

$41,590

Western Virginia/Greater Roanoke Region (LWIA III)

157,120

$26.16

$21.15

$54,410

$43,990

Shenandoah Valley (LWIA IV)

229,200

$26.16

$21.39

$54,420

$44,490

Crater Area (LWIA V)

66,140

$27.35

$22.50

$56,880

$46,810

Piedmont Workforce Network (LWIA VI)

172,350

$31.28

$23.50

$65,060

$48,880

Region 2000/Central Virginia (LWIA VII)

97,080

$25.94

$20.27

$53,950

$42,160

South Central (LWIA VIII)

52,690

$24.17

$19.57

$50,280

$40,710

Capital Region Workforce Partnership (LWIA IX)

578,780

$30.92

$23.41

$64,320

$48,700

West Piedmont (LWIA X)

65,750

$23.33

$18.64

$48,530

$38,770

Northern Virginia (LWIAW XI)

1,013,710

$41.64

$30.22

$86,600

$62,850

Alexandria/Arlington (LWIA XII)

256,050

$48.30

$37.70

$100,470

$78,420

Bay Consortium (LWIA XIII)

168,080

$31.02

$22.99

$64,530

$47,830

Hampton Roads (LWIA XIV)

734,470

$28.89

$22.60

$60,100

$47,000

 

Detailed statistics by major occupational group are shown in Appendix A. Appendix C gives a look into the top three major occupational groups and top three detailed occupations by LWIA. Full data may be accessed at this link and downloaded here.

Appendix A: 2023 Statewide Employment and Wages of Major Occupational Groups

Occupational Group

Employment

Average Hourly Wage

Median Hourly Wage

Average Annual Wage

Median Annual Wage

Total all occupations

3,981,130

$33.68

$24.00

$70,050

$49,920

Management

245,040

$71.71

$63.64

$149,150

$132,380

Business and Financial Operations

385,000

$51.94

$40.88

$108,030

$85,030

Computer and Mathematical

241,530

$58.95

$57.77

$122,610

$120,160

Architecture and Engineering

72,190

$49.56

$46.56

$103,090

$96,840

Life, Physical, and Social Science

39,180

$46.86

$39.66

$97,470

$82,490

Community and Social Service

63,180

$27.87

$25.22

$57,980

$52,460

Legal

33,480

$64.03

$50.88

$133,190

$105,820

Educational Instruction and Library

243,170

$31.19

$28.41

$64,880

$59,100

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

53,440

$32.53

$27.50

$67,660

$57,200

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

221,550

$47.33

$38.46

$98,440

$79,990

Healthcare Support

148,020

$17.61

$16.66

$36,640

$34,650

Protective Service

102,360

$27.14

$23.56

$56,450

$49,010

Food Preparation and Serving Related

323,650

$16.70

$14.73

$34,730

$30,630

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

120,590

$17.37

$16.40

$36,120

$34,100

Personal Care and Service

83,360

$18.59

$16.21

$38,680

$33,720

Sales and Related

360,430

$25.27

$17.30

$52,560

$35,980

Office and Administrative Support

443,580

$22.51

$20.66

$46,820

$42,970

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry

5,290

$20.89

$18.55

$43,450

$38,580

Construction and Extraction

163,520

$26.38

$23.76

$54,860

$49,420

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

156,080

$27.85

$25.99

$57,930

$54,060

Production

166,680

$22.83

$21.14

$47,480

$43,970

Transportation and Material Moving

309,810

$22.71

$19.52

$47,240

$40,600

 

Appendix B: Map of Local Workforce Investment Areas

graphic

Appendix C: Top Occupations by Employment by Local Workforce Investment Area

Local Workforce Investment Area (LWIA)

Top 3 Major Occupational Groups (employment)

Top 3 Detailed Occupations (employment)

Southwestern Virginia (LWIA I)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (6,590)
  2. Sales and Related (5,190)
  3. Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (4,760)

 

  1. Cashiers (2,200)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (1,410)
  3. Customer Service Representatives (1,370)

New River/Mt. Rogers (LWIA II)

  1. Production (16,140)
  2. Office and Administrative Support (15,410)
  3. Sales and Related (13,410)
  1. Cashiers (4,600)
  2. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators (4,240)
  3. Fast Food and Counter Workers (3,880)

 

Western Virginia/Greater Roanoke Region (LWIA III)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (19,350)
  2. Sales and Related (14,870)
  3. Transportation and Material Moving (14,650)

 

  1. Registered Nurses (5,590)
  2. Retail Salespersons (4,200)
  3. Cashiers (3,820)

Shenandoah Valley (LWIA IV)

  1. Transportation and Material Moving (27,990)
  2. Office and Administrative Support (24,840)
  3. Production (21,570)

 

 

  1. Cashiers (6,680)
  2. Stockers and Order Filers (6,600)
  3. Fast Food and Counter Workers (6,500)

Crater Area (LWIA V)

  1. Transportation and Material Moving (8,320)
  2. Office and Administrative Support (6,850)
  3. Sales and Related (5,970)

 

  1. Cashiers (2,100)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (1,990)
  3. Stockers and Order Filers (1,900)

Piedmont Workforce Network (LWIA VI)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (18,280)
  2. Educational Instruction and Library (16,200)
  3. Food Preparation and Serving Related (15,860)

 

  1. Cashiers (4,450)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (4,420)
  3. Retail Salespersons (4,150)

Region 2000/Central Virginia (LWIA VII)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (10,870)
  2. Sales and Related (10,420)
  3. Food Preparation and Serving Related (9,400)

 

  1. Retail Salespersons (3,470)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (3,260)
  3. Cashiers (2,830)

South Central (LWIA VIII)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (6,130)
  2. Transportation and Material Moving (5,820)
  3. Sales and Related (4,760)

 

 

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides (1,970)
  2. Cashiers (1,770)
  3. Stockers and Order Filers (1,410)

Capital Region Workforce Partnership (LWIA IX)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (75,640)
  2. Sales and Related (54,530)
  3. Business and Financial Operations (53,010)

 

 

  1. Customer Service Representatives (14,150)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (14,050)
  3. Retail Salespersons (13,990)

West Piedmont (LWIA X)

  1. Production (7,890)
  2. Office and Administrative Support (7,730)
  3. Transportation and Material Moving (7,020)

 

  1. Home Health and Personal Care Aides (3,030)
  2. Cashiers (2,190)
  3. Stockers and Order Filers (1,740)

Northern Virginia (LWIA XI)

  1. Business and Financial Operations (128,090)
  2. Computer and Mathematical (106,570)
  3. Office and Administrative Support (97,990)

 

  1. Software Developers (42,450)
  2. Management Analysts (29,480)
  3. General and Operations Managers (26,850)

Alexandria/Arlington (LWIA XII)

  1. Business and Financial Operations (48,190)
  2. Computer and Mathematical (28,200)
  3. Management (26,970)

 

  1. Management Analysts (11,980)
  2. Software Developers (9,510)
  3. Business Operations Specialists, All Other (8,820)

 

Bay Consortium (LWIA XIII)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (18,760)
  2. Sales and Related (17,760)
  3. Food Preparation and Serving Related (15,870)
  1. Cashiers (6,010)
  2. Fast Food and Counter Workers (5,010)
  3. Retail Salespersons (4,760)

Hampton Roads (LWIA XIV)

  1. Office and Administrative Support (82,240)
  2. Food Preparation and Serving Related (70,970)
  3. Sales and Related (68,960)
  1. Fast Food and Counter Workers (20,820)
  2. Retail Salespersons (20,550)
  3. Cashiers (18,780)

 

Technical Notes:

Virginia Works has provided several extensions to the official OEWS data series which have been developed in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These additional products have not been validated by BLS and are not, therefore, official BLS data series.

Two of these additional products are the “entrywg” and “experience” fields. Virginia Works has used the Local Employment and Wage Information System (LEWIS) to calculate entry-level wage rates as the mean of the bottom third of the wage distribution, and experienced-level wage rates as the mean of the top two-thirds of the wage distribution.  Data on experience level was not collected as part of the OEWS Survey, and the data contained in this report have not been validated by BLS and are not, therefore, official BLS data series.

Other products provided by Virginia Works which are not official BLS data series include OEWS estimates for Local Workforce Investment Areas (LWIAs), Planning Regions, and Virginia Community College Regions. These sub-state employment and wage estimates have been produced using the Local Employment and Wage Information System (LEWIS) and have not been validated by BLS.

Please note that for statewide estimates, employment levels below 100 have been excluded. For sub-state estimates, employment levels below 30 have been excluded. Other suppressions have been applied to estimates across all area types according to BLS guidelines.

More technical information may be found at this link: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm

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