NextChapter

Best cities for pay after cost of living in Virginia

Chantilly leads Virginia for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Chantilly, VA: $192k
  • #2 Herndon, VA: $161k
  • #3 Mc Lean, VA: $161k
  • 15 cities ranked in Virginia
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: $138k across the typical city in our data.

  1. 1Chantilly VA$192k
  2. 2Herndon VA$161k
  3. 3Mc Lean VA$161k
  4. 4McLean VA$158k
  5. 5Reston VA$158k
  6. 6Arlington VA$146k
  7. 7Alexandria VA$139k
  8. 8Manassas VA$137k
  9. 9Fort Belvoir VA$134k
  10. 10Vienna VA$131k

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Chantilly leads on $192k, and #10 Vienna is at $131k.
  • Chantilly reaches #1 on a sample of 54 openings with pay posted, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Arlington is the largest market in the top ten, with 535 openings with pay posted behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

A salary buys different amounts in different places. This list adjusts posted pay by the local price level, so it ranks what the pay is worth rather than the number on the posting.

How to use it

Use it to compare two offers or two cities. A lower headline salary in a cheaper place can leave you ahead of a higher one in an expensive metro.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Chantilly VA

    $192k

    Median posted pay
    $194k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    54

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Trinzic, Peraton

    Based on 54 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Chantilly

  2. 2

    Herndon VA

    $161k

    Median posted pay
    $163k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    176

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 176 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Herndon

  3. 3

    Mc Lean VA

    $161k

    Median posted pay
    $163k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    71

    Hiring most here: Capital One, Booz Allen Hamilton, Sunrise Senior Living

    Based on 71 openings with pay posted.

  4. 4

    McLean VA

    $158k

    Median posted pay
    $160k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    274

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 274 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in McLean

  5. 5

    Reston VA

    $158k

    Median posted pay
    $160k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    189

    Hiring most here: ICF International, CACI International, Anduril Industries

    Based on 189 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Reston

  6. 6

    Arlington VA

    $146k

    Median posted pay
    $148k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    535

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 535 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Arlington

  7. 7

    Alexandria VA

    $139k

    Median posted pay
    $140k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    158

    Hiring most here: Kearney, Patent and Trademark Office, Analytic Services (ANSER)

    Based on 158 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Alexandria

  8. 8

    Manassas VA

    $137k

    Median posted pay
    $139k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    60

    Hiring most here: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Electra.Aero, Holder Construction

    Based on 60 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Manassas

  9. 9

    Fort Belvoir VA

    $134k

    Median posted pay
    $135k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    67

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Peraton, Teksynap

    Based on 67 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Fort Belvoir

  10. 10

    Vienna VA

    $131k

    Median posted pay
    $133k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    93

    Hiring most here: Esri, Navy Federal Credit Union, Antithesis

    Based on 93 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Vienna

  11. 11

    Springfield VA

    $129k

    Median posted pay
    $131k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    56

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Caci Technologies, HII Mission Technologies

    Based on 56 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  12. 12

    Tysons VA

    $125k

    Median posted pay
    $127k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    63

    Hiring most here: M.C. Dean, Alarm.com Holdings, LMI

    Based on 63 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Tysons

  13. 13

    Richmond VA

    $103k

    Median posted pay
    $105k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    239

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 239 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Richmond

  14. 14

    Norfolk VA

    $103k

    Median posted pay
    $104k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    71

    Hiring most here: Commonwealth of Virginia, Seacorp, United States Fleet Forces Command

    Based on 71 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Norfolk

  15. 15

    Virginia Beach VA

    $93k

    Median posted pay
    $95k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    58

    Hiring most here: HII Mission Technologies, Amazon, Commander, Navy Installations Command

    Based on 58 openings with pay posted.

    Jobs and employers in Virginia Beach

Full ranking

All 15 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Chantilly VA$192k54
2Herndon VA$161k176
3Mc Lean VA$161k71
4McLean VA$158k274
5Reston VA$158k189
6Arlington VA$146k535
7Alexandria VA$139k158
8Manassas VA$137k60
9Fort Belvoir VA$134k67
10Vienna VA$131k93
11Springfield VA$129k56
12Tysons VA$125k63
13Richmond VA$103k239
14Norfolk VA$103k71
15Virginia Beach VA$93k58

How this ranking works

The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100.

Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: posted annual salary ranges; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024 (metro areas and states). Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for pay after cost of living in virginia?
Chantilly leads Virginia for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $192k buys at average US prices.
How many cities are ranked?
15 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 15 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for pay after cost of living in Virginia,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-virginia

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-virginia">Best cities for pay after cost of living in Virginia (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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