Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Across all occupations in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan area, the median wage is $48,120 a year ($23.14 an hour) and the mean $61,090, May 2025. That median is −6% against the US median of $50,980 and −14% against Virginia's $55,690. BLS counts 74,070 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is chief executives; the largest is miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators.
All occupations: Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA vs Virginia and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | Hourly | $13.79 | $17.22 | $23.14 | $33.38 | $50.36 | $29.37 | 74,070 |
| Annual | $28,670 | $35,820 | $48,120 | $69,430 | $104,750 | $61,090 | ||
| Virginia | Hourly | $14.68 | $18.14 | $26.78 | $42.99 | $66.83 | $35.60 | 4,109,320 |
| Annual | $30,530 | $37,720 | $55,690 | $89,420 | $139,010 | $74,040 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
257 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Virginia. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Executives | $208,030 | $100.01 | 50 |
| 2 | Physicians, All Other | $207,770 | $99.89 | 100 |
| 3 | Sales Managers in Virginia | $160,830 | $77.32 | 80 |
| 4 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Virginia | $157,250 | $75.60 | 170 |
| 5 | Fundraising Managers | $143,730 | $69.10 | 70 |
| 6 | Financial Managers in Virginia | $139,800 | $67.21 | 210 |
| 7 | Human Resources Managers | $138,220 | $66.45 | 70 |
| 8 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $137,870 | $66.28 | 90 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $131,740 | $63.34 | 170 |
| 10 | Managers, All Other in Virginia | $131,230 | $63.09 | 120 |
| 11 | Dentists, General | $128,140 | $61.61 | 40 |
| 12 | Industrial Production Managers | $125,400 | $60.29 | 110 |
| 13 | Physician Assistants | $125,050 | $60.12 | 60 |
| 14 | Nurse Practitioners | $124,800 | $60.00 | 110 |
| 15 | Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $122,120 | $58.71 | ** |
| 16 | Marketing Managers | $119,420 | $57.42 | 50 |
| 17 | Computer Network Architects | $117,030 | $56.26 | 40 |
| 18 | Information Security Analysts | $115,980 | $55.76 | 80 |
| 19 | Computer Occupations, All Other | $112,820 | $54.24 | 90 |
| 20 | Software Developers in Virginia | $111,630 | $53.67 | 590 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
Most concentrated occupations in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farm and Home Management Educators | 29.49 | 120 | 1.56 | $51,670 |
| 2 | Biological Technicians | 8.47 | 280 | 3.79 | $51,710 |
| 3 | Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers | 4.75 | 560 | 7.54 | $38,570 |
| 4 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 4.31 | 150 | 2.09 | $61,310 |
| 5 | Chemical Technicians | 4.25 | 120 | 1.57 | $57,670 |
| 6 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 3.92 | 300 | 4.00 | $51,800 |
| 7 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators in Virginia | 3.67 | 2,450 | 33.13 | $45,950 |
| 8 | Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 3.30 | 150 | 2.02 | $61,460 |
| 9 | Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 3.20 | 440 | 5.96 | * |
| 10 | Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 3.11 | 730 | 9.85 | $52,060 |
Occupation groups in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $109,250 | $129,990 | 3,650 | 49.33 | 0.69 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $88,390 | $100,030 | 1,820 | 24.51 | 0.72 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $81,330 | $90,180 | 1,540 | 20.86 | 1.24 |
| Legal | $78,830 | $106,000 | 270 | 3.60 | 0.43 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $76,960 | $90,390 | 4,070 | 55.01 | 0.87 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $73,780 | $80,240 | 3,420 | 46.15 | 0.68 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $66,420 | $84,950 | 7,840 | 105.83 | 1.81 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $64,790 | $71,520 | 1,210 | 16.38 | 1.73 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $58,720 | $76,660 | 950 | 12.86 | 0.98 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $58,510 | $57,990 | 3,540 | 47.85 | 1.22 |
| Community and Social Service | $52,060 | $55,920 | 1,570 | 21.24 | 1.24 |
| Protective Service | $50,170 | $51,560 | 1,570 | 21.23 | 0.87 |
| Construction and Extraction | $49,370 | $54,260 | 2,220 | 29.97 | 0.73 |
| Production | $47,600 | $51,360 | 7,420 | 100.18 | 1.82 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $44,020 | $46,760 | 7,380 | 99.69 | 0.87 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $41,580 | $46,060 | 70 | 1.00 | 0.36 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $39,000 | $43,320 | 6,020 | 81.32 | 0.92 |
| Healthcare Support | $37,140 | $38,480 | 2,690 | 36.34 | 0.72 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,710 | $36,220 | 2,730 | 36.86 | 1.26 |
| Sales and Related | $33,780 | $43,280 | 5,570 | 75.23 | 0.87 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $31,350 | $35,520 | 6,770 | 91.40 | 1.04 |
| Personal Care and Service | $30,830 | $36,690 | 1,720 | 23.17 | 1.11 |
Every occupation in Virginia, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 257 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA estimates (area 13980).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.