Registered nurses in the state of Virginia earn an average salary of $71,870 per year (or $34.56 per hour) as of May 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 80% of Virginia RNs earn between $50,890 and $98,860.
On average, RNs in Virginia earn about 7% less than the national average salary for nurses, at $77,460 (or $37.24 per hour).
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Among other factors, the cost of living in a given region can impact what nurses tend to earn working in those areas. With a Cost of Living Index of 101.6 in Q3 2020, Virginia nurses face prices for things like food, housing, and transportation that roughly similar to those in other states. When adjusted for cost of living, Virginia’s nursing salaries are actually even further below the national average.
| State | Avg. RN Salary | Avg. RN Salary (adjusted for COL) |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $74,380 | $74,678 |
| Nationwide | $80,010 | - |
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RN salary across Virginia cities
Virginia nursing salaries vary quite a bit from region to region across the state. The area where nurses are paid the highest is in Arlington, thanks to its proximity to the DC metro area. Here, the average RN salary is $83,370 and over 40,000 nurses are currently employed across the entire metro. Charlottesville (average RN salary of $74,560) and Richmond (average RN salary of $73,500) both come in as close 2nd/3rd places.
| Metro Area | RNs Employed | Avg. RN Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 42,820 | $83,490 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 3,440 | $72,070 |
| Richmond, VA | 12,470 | $79,430 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 14,260 | $73,360 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 1,660 | $73,220 |
| Staunton-Waynesboro, VA | 960 | $69,240 |
| Roanoke, VA | 4,230 | $67,600 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 1,040 | $65,630 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 1,980 | $64,260 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 2,320 | $65,040 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 620 | $60,760 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 530 | $62,040 |
| Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA | 2,500 | $57,720 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 2,140 | $55,130 |
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RN salary vs similar healthcare professions in Virginia
Overall, “Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations” workers in Virginia earn an average salary of $82,840, according to the BLS. Here’s how a sample of these other types of healthcare professions compare to RN salaries in the state:
| Profession | # Employed in VA | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 66,450 | $74,380 |
| LPNs / LVNs | 20,750 | $47,410 |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 9,590 | $34,810 |
| Dental Hygienists | 5,040 | $82,530 |
| Physical Therapist | 6,210 | $94,370 |
| Nurse Practitioners | 5,790 | $109,660 |
Job outlook for Registered Nurses in Virginia
There are over 60,000 registered nurses in the state of Virginia. Yet, nursing jobs in the state are still projected to increase by at least 11% from 2018 to 2028 – an increase of more than 7,000 new RNs in the state in the coming years.
