Virginia Career & Training Directory
Explore 218 careers with Virginia-specific salary data, licensing requirements, and 14 accredited schools.
Top Careers in Virginia
Virginia's Federal Contracting, Cybersecurity, and Defense Drive Premium Career Demand
Virginia is the world's largest data center market — Northern Virginia hosts more data center capacity than any other location globally — and a massive federal government contracting ecosystem spanning the Pentagon, CIA, NSA, and dozens of military installations. Cybersecurity analysts and cloud engineers command some of the highest wages in the country here. The Hampton Roads region is home to the world's largest naval complex, Naval Station Norfolk, sustaining thousands of defense civilian and contractor jobs. Wages in the Northern Virginia corridor run 15–20% above national medians.
Cybersecurity Analyst
- Median Salary
- $119,400/yr
- Job Growth
- +32.0% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 4-year bachelor's degree + certs
Registered Nurse
- Median Salary
- $79,200/yr
- Job Growth
- +5.9% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 2–4 years (ADN or BSN)
Software Developer
- Median Salary
- $132,400/yr
- Job Growth
- +24.1% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 4-year bachelor's degree
Electrician
- Median Salary
- $68,800/yr
- Job Growth
- +9.8% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 4–5 years (apprenticeship)
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer
- Median Salary
- $128,400/yr
- Job Growth
- +15.0% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 4-year bachelor's degree + cloud certs
Construction Manager
- Median Salary
- $98,400/yr
- Job Growth
- +7.2% (2022–2032)
- Training Time
- 4-year bachelor's degree
Salary figures based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024/2025. Growth projections from BLS Employment Projections 2022–2032. State figures reflect Virginia-specific wage data; individual employer pay varies.
Airline Pilot (Career Track) / Flight Student
DevOps Engineer / Site Reliability Engineer
Cybersecurity Analyst
Cloud Technician / Cloud Engineer
Construction Manager / Superintendent
Database Administrator (DBA)
Schools in Virginia
Northern Virginia Community College
Largest community college in Virginia and one of the largest in the US (75,000+ students). Five campuses across Northern...
Tidewater Community College
Serves the Hampton Roads metro (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth). Multi-campus system with strong milita...
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
Serves the Richmond metro. Multiple campuses in Henrico, Goochland, and Parham. Comprehensive allied health and technica...
Virginia Western Community College
Serves the Roanoke Valley and surrounding region. Strong allied health programs with clinical partnerships at Carilion C...
About Virginia's Job Market
Virginia's economy supports a strong demand for trained vocational professionals across healthcare, construction, technology, and transportation. The state's growing population drives steady openings for allied health workers, skilled tradespeople, and tech professionals.