Registered Nurses salary in Virginia Beach, VA
Median pay for registered nurses in Virginia Beach, VA: $82,540/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $65,030 – $108,500 · about 14,600 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($80,810) by +$1,730 (+2%).
What it's really worth in Virginia Beach
With Virginia Beach's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $82,540 has the buying power of about $84,464 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,082 · median home $373,678 · median rent $1,862/mo.
How Virginia Beach ranks for this job
On raw pay, Virginia Beach, VA is 74th of the 187 metros we hold registered nurses wages for. Once Virginia Beach's cost of living is applied, it ranks 121st.
The headline number flatters Virginia Beach. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, registered nurses here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Virginia Beach
A median home in Virginia Beach, VA costs $373,678 — about 4.5× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,862/mo works out at 27% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where registered nurses earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Virginia Beach.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | $187,080 | +127% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $181,240 | +120% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $179,210 | +117% | 1.9× |
| Sacramento, CA | $157,810 | +91% | 1.2× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $85,440 | +4% | 0.9× |
| Roanoke, VA | $78,380 | −5% | 0.8× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $77,900 | −6% | 0.7× |
Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires registered nurses around Virginia Beach
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Navy · Government
- Sentara Healthcare · Healthcare
- Eastern Virginia Medical School · Education
- Old Dominion University · Education
Other jobs in Virginia Beach
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.