Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 26 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Virginia Beach, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60/hrConstruction manager: $50.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $51.69)Construction manager$50.60Construction supervisor: $38.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.75)Construction supervisor$38.92Crane operator: $34.33 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.07)Crane operator$34.33Lineman: $32.86 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.56)Lineman$32.86Boilermaker: $32.86 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.56)Boilermaker$32.86Sheet metal worker: $30.48 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.13)Sheet metal worker$30.48Machinist: $30.24 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.89)Machinist$30.24Welder: $30.13 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.78)Welder$30.13Electrician: $29.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.62)Electrician$29.98Plumber: $29.75 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.39)Plumber$29.75HVAC technician: $28.59 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.20)HVAC technician$28.59Diesel mechanic: $28.46 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.07)Diesel mechanic$28.46Ironworker: $28.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.79)Ironworker$28.19Glazier: $27.88 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.48)Glazier$27.88Heavy equipment operator: $25.03 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.57)Heavy equipment operator$25.03Carpenter: $24.76 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.29)Carpenter$24.76Millwright: $24.32 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.84)Millwright$24.32Brickmason: $24.22 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.74)Brickmason$24.22Cement mason: $23.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.35)Cement mason$23.84Drywall installer: $23.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.02)Drywall installer$23.52Solar installer: $23.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.53)Solar installer$23.04Painter: $22.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.14)Painter$22.65Roofer: $22.34 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.82)Roofer$22.34Tile setter: $21.76 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.23)Tile setter$21.76Insulation worker: $21.03 (cost-of-living adjusted $21.48)Insulation worker$21.03Construction laborer: $18.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $18.91)Construction laborer$18.51
Median hourly wage by trade, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 97.9).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$37.14$50.60$77.81$105,2401,40012% below8% below
2Construction supervisor$26.50$38.92$47.84$80,9506,1403% above1% above
3Crane operator$25.69$34.33$42.02$71,4004307% above5% above
4Lineman$23.64$32.86$48.33$68,35042011% below28% below
5Boilermaker$23.18$32.86$37.58$68,350901% above11% below
6Sheet metal worker$18.31$30.48$35.43$63,3902,08021% above3% above
7Machinist$23.50$30.24$36.80$62,9002,3503% above7% above
8Welder$22.36$30.13$37.59$62,6703,7406% above17% above
9Electrician$21.14$29.98$39.08$62,3505,7401% below1% below
10Plumber$21.98$29.75$36.25$61,8705,1002% above3% below
11HVAC technician$18.85$28.59$37.00$59,4702,840about the same as3% below
12Diesel mechanic$21.02$28.46$35.48$59,2001,3603% below4% below
13Ironworker$22.87$28.19$35.70$58,6307003% below7% below
14Glazier$20.56$27.88$31.58$57,9901402% below2% above
15Heavy equipment operator$18.99$25.03$35.44$52,0602,1509% below13% below
16Carpenter$18.72$24.76$35.32$51,5004,0208% below15% below
17Millwright$21.39$24.32$38.68$50,590—2% below23% below
18Brickmason$18.87$24.22$28.87$50,3704008% below19% below
19Cement mason$18.12$23.84$34.94$49,5807903% below13% below
20Drywall installer$18.77$23.52$27.55$48,92027012% below17% below
21Solar installer$22.94$23.04$28.01$47,930—3% below10% below
22Painter$16.75$22.65$34.64$47,1101,6101% below5% below
23Roofer$18.76$22.34$28.13$46,4803504% below16% below
24Tile setter$12.42$21.76$29.38$45,2601607% below19% below
25Insulation worker$17.07$21.03$25.87$43,7301602% below11% below
26Construction laborer$14.70$18.51$23.73$38,4905,66012% below18% below

Union scale in the Virginia Beach area

The highest Davis-Bacon Building-construction package among the counties in the Virginia Beach metro, next to the metro market median from BLS.

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$29.98$37.95$18.02$55.97Union13 of 18
Plumber$29.75$36.92$18.25$55.17Union13 of 18
Carpenter$24.76$19.80$3.98$23.78Survey13 of 18
Construction laborer$18.51$12.06$2.49$14.55Survey13 of 18
Heavy equipment operator$25.03$20.69$1.35$22.04Survey13 of 18
Ironworker$28.19$31.00$18.28$49.28Union12 of 18
Sheet metal worker$30.48$23.43$5.05$28.48Survey13 of 18
Painter$22.65$18.10$5.43$23.53Survey12 of 18

Not the official determination. County-level lookup on the Virginia prevailing wage page.

Construction jobs in Virginia Beach

41.8kConstruction jobs2026-08
-3.2%Change over 12 months
+3.5%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202542kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Virginia Beach?

In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $50.60 an hour in May 2025, with 1,400 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Virginia Beach than the rest of Virginia?

In Virginia Beach, 7 of 26 trades pay above the Virginia state median and 18 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $50.60.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.