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 Mc Lean, VA: $161k
  • #3 Herndon, VA: $159k
  • 14 cities ranked in Virginia
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: $140k across the typical city in our data.

  1. 1Chantilly VA$192k
  2. 2Mc Lean VA$161k
  3. 3Herndon VA$159k
  4. 4Reston VA$158k
  5. 5McLean VA$148k
  6. 6Arlington VA$143k
  7. 7Alexandria VA$139k
  8. 8Manassas VA$137k
  9. 9Fort Belvoir VA$133k
  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 475 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.

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.

  2. 2

    Mc Lean VA

    $161k

    Median posted pay
    $163k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    68

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

    Based on 68 openings with pay posted.

  3. 3

    Herndon VA

    $159k

    Median posted pay
    $161k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    153

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Peraton

    Based on 153 openings with pay posted.

  4. 4

    Reston VA

    $158k

    Median posted pay
    $160k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    165

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

    Based on 165 openings with pay posted.

  5. 5

    McLean VA

    $148k

    Median posted pay
    $150k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    239

    Hiring most here: Capital One, The MITRE, Steampunk

    Based on 239 openings with pay posted.

  6. 6

    Arlington VA

    $143k

    Median posted pay
    $145k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    475

    Hiring most here: Amazon, AWS, Bloomberg Industry Group

    Based on 475 openings with pay posted.

  7. 7

    Alexandria VA

    $139k

    Median posted pay
    $140k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    144

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

    Based on 144 openings with pay posted.

  8. 8

    Manassas VA

    $137k

    Median posted pay
    $139k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    54

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

    Based on 54 openings with pay posted.

  9. 9

    Fort Belvoir VA

    $133k

    Median posted pay
    $135k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    64

    Hiring most here: CACI International, Teksynap, LMI

    Based on 64 openings with pay posted.

  10. 10

    Vienna VA

    $131k

    Median posted pay
    $133k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    91

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

    Based on 91 openings with pay posted.

  11. 11

    Springfield VA

    $130k

    Median posted pay
    $132k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    53

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

    Based on 53 openings with pay posted.

  12. 12

    Tysons VA

    $125k

    Median posted pay
    $126k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    62

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

    Based on 62 openings with pay posted.

  13. 13

    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.

  14. 14

    Richmond VA

    $99k

    Median posted pay
    $100k
    State prices vs US average
    +1%
    Openings with pay posted
    198

    Hiring most here: Mckesson, Capital One, Genworth Financial

    Based on 198 openings with pay posted.

Full ranking

All 14 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Chantilly VA$192k54
2Mc Lean VA$161k68
3Herndon VA$159k153
4Reston VA$158k165
5McLean VA$148k239
6Arlington VA$143k475
7Alexandria VA$139k144
8Manassas VA$137k54
9Fort Belvoir VA$133k64
10Vienna VA$131k91
11Springfield VA$130k53
12Tysons VA$125k62
13Norfolk VA$103k71
14Richmond VA$99k198

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?
14 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 14 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>

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