Roanoke, VA
Across all occupations in the Roanoke, VA metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,140 a year ($22.67 an hour) and the mean $60,590, May 2025. That median is −8% against the US median of $50,980 and −15% against Virginia's $55,690. BLS counts 153,980 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is anesthesiologists; the largest is registered nurses.
All occupations: Roanoke, VA vs Virginia and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Roanoke, VA | Hourly | $13.84 | $17.16 | $22.67 | $33.00 | $48.27 | $29.13 | 153,980 |
| Annual | $28,780 | $35,700 | $47,140 | $68,640 | $100,390 | $60,590 | ||
| 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 | ||
387 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 Roanoke, VA
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anesthesiologists | $488,310 | $234.77 | ** |
| 2 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $346,900 | $166.78 | 70 |
| 3 | Psychiatrists | $295,010 | $141.83 | 70 |
| 4 | Chief Executives | $258,310 | $124.19 | 100 |
| 5 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $227,320 | $109.29 | 90 |
| 6 | Family Medicine Physicians | $224,410 | $107.89 | 230 |
| 7 | Pediatricians, General | $219,960 | $105.75 | 70 |
| 8 | Marketing Managers | $165,000 | $79.33 | 160 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Virginia | $164,910 | $79.28 | 270 |
| 10 | Financial Managers in Virginia | $158,030 | $75.97 | 490 |
| 11 | Optometrists | $144,900 | $69.66 | 40 |
| 12 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $139,170 | $66.91 | 140 |
| 13 | Sales Managers in Virginia | $138,380 | $66.53 | 250 |
| 14 | Human Resources Managers | $137,510 | $66.11 | 160 |
| 15 | Physician Assistants | $135,940 | $65.36 | 360 |
| 16 | Nurse Practitioners | $134,920 | $64.87 | 440 |
| 17 | Lawyers in Virginia | $134,440 | $64.63 | 480 |
| 18 | Public Relations Managers | $134,320 | $64.58 | 40 |
| 19 | Pharmacists | $133,980 | $64.41 | 360 |
| 20 | Managers, All Other in Virginia | $133,010 | $63.95 | 260 |
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 Roanoke, VA
Most concentrated occupations in Roanoke, 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 | Funeral Attendants | 5.77 | 180 | 1.15 | $28,410 |
| 2 | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | 3.85 | 160 | 1.04 | $47,620 |
| 3 | Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers | 3.39 | 330 | 2.13 | $82,180 |
| 4 | Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 3.17 | 190 | 1.24 | $40,530 |
| 5 | Office and Administrative Support Workers, All Other | 3.10 | 590 | 3.83 | $52,460 |
| 6 | Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators in Virginia | 2.56 | 3,560 | 23.14 | $44,900 |
| 7 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 2.37 | 370 | 2.40 | $29,580 |
| 8 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 2.27 | 940 | 6.08 | $56,040 |
| 9 | Physician Assistants | 2.23 | 360 | 2.33 | $135,940 |
| 10 | Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 2.20 | 160 | 1.07 | $64,120 |
Occupation groups in Roanoke, VA
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $108,150 | $128,410 | 7,480 | 48.61 | 0.68 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $97,330 | $100,430 | 2,970 | 19.32 | 0.57 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $82,870 | $89,680 | 2,190 | 14.24 | 0.85 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $80,090 | $111,870 | 13,370 | 86.85 | 1.37 |
| Legal | $78,640 | $106,370 | 1,110 | 7.20 | 0.86 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $75,450 | $83,370 | 1,130 | 7.36 | 0.78 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $73,950 | $79,260 | 9,150 | 59.44 | 0.88 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $57,190 | $59,070 | 6,800 | 44.20 | 1.13 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $54,520 | $56,410 | 8,120 | 52.76 | 0.90 |
| Community and Social Service | $52,940 | $57,160 | 2,620 | 17.02 | 0.99 |
| Construction and Extraction | $47,740 | $52,570 | 6,880 | 44.65 | 1.08 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $47,650 | $54,670 | 1,830 | 11.86 | 0.90 |
| Protective Service | $46,500 | $50,890 | 4,360 | 28.29 | 1.16 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $45,180 | $47,330 | 17,640 | 114.55 | 1.00 |
| Production | $45,140 | $48,630 | 12,410 | 80.61 | 1.46 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $43,560 | $44,930 | 14,090 | 91.48 | 1.04 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $37,440 | $43,210 | 130 | 0.86 | 0.31 |
| Healthcare Support | $36,520 | $38,060 | 6,840 | 44.45 | 0.87 |
| Sales and Related | $35,430 | $47,220 | 14,280 | 92.76 | 1.07 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $34,800 | $36,690 | 4,530 | 29.44 | 1.01 |
| Personal Care and Service | $32,680 | $36,080 | 3,560 | 23.12 | 1.10 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $30,790 | $35,270 | 12,460 | 80.95 | 0.92 |
Every occupation in Virginia, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 387 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 Roanoke, VA estimates (area 40220).
*- 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 Roanoke, 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.