Virginia (VA)
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An automated macro-level review of Virginia's tech ecosystem.Overall Virginia Rating
Federal records show 2,072 total work visa filings for Virginia. When we look at local wages and job availability, the region gets an official H1B Index Rating of "C".
Highly Competitive Market
Instead of creating purely new jobs, companies here actively compete for existing talent. About 64.7% of visa requests hire workers away from other businesses.
Actual Take-Home Value
While the $126,090 median pay is competitive, local deductions apply. Factoring in the 5.0% state income tax and regional pricing, professionals realize a true spending power of about $119,786.
Strong Visa Success
Getting an approved work visa is highly likely here. The government approves 99.6% of applications from Virginia, and local companies also filed 699 permanent residency requests.
Advanced Talent Hub
Virginia functions as a top destination for senior professionals. Data shows 30.4% of all approved visas dedicate specifically to experienced roles rather than entry-level positions.
Regional Hiring Trends
Most of the work visa opportunities in Virginia are located in Mclean. Across the entire state, companies in the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector lead the job market.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Top Metro Hubs in Virginia
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $126,090.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?State Wage Premium
On average, employers in Virginia offer salaries that are $11,191 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM).Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 371 | 17.9% | $45,500 | $90,896 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 901 | 43.5% | $47,840 | $120,640 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 351 | 16.9% | $58,927 | $141,594 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 279 | 13.5% | $62,400 | $176,800 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 170 | 8.2% | $60,000 | $128,798 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mclean, VA | 15.0% (310 Filings) | $126,090 | 18.1% |
| Arlington, VA | 11.5% (239 Filings) | $133,100 | 6.3% |
| Richmond, VA | 9.9% (206 Filings) | $110,000 | 21.8% |
| Herndon, VA | 9.7% (202 Filings) | $132,470 | 9.9% |
| Reston, VA | 6.6% (136 Filings) | $126,090 | 7.4% |
| Ashburn, VA | 5.3% (110 Filings) | $126,090 | 20.9% |
| Norfolk, VA | 3.2% (66 Filings) | $111,030 | 12.1% |
| Charlottesville, VA | 3.0% (63 Filings) | $90,350 | 7.9% |
| Glen Allen, VA | 2.6% (53 Filings) | $110,198 | 15.1% |
| Sterling, VA | 2.5% (51 Filings) | $135,000 | 19.6% |
| Chantilly, VA | 2.3% (48 Filings) | $124,860 | 14.6% |
| Fairfax, VA | 2.3% (47 Filings) | $105,636 | 4.3% |
| Henrico, VA | 1.9% (39 Filings) | $108,160 | 10.3% |
| Vienna, VA | 1.7% (35 Filings) | $150,000 | 20.0% |
| Aldie, VA | 1.6% (33 Filings) | $132,374 | 30.3% |
| Blacksburg, VA | 1.5% (31 Filings) | $77,106 | 6.5% |
| Manassas, VA | 1.4% (30 Filings) | $135,496 | 6.7% |
| Alexandria, VA | 1.4% (29 Filings) | $120,640 | 17.2% |
| Mechanicsville, VA | 1.3% (27 Filings) | $120,000 | 7.4% |
| Tysons, VA | 0.8% (16 Filings) | $126,090 | 18.8% |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 0.8% (16 Filings) | $110,074 | 6.2% |
| Falls Church, VA | 0.8% (16 Filings) | $99,620 | 12.5% |
| Newport News, VA | 0.8% (16 Filings) | $103,839 | 12.5% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 0.7% (15 Filings) | $109,681 | 6.7% |
| Chesapeake, VA | 0.7% (15 Filings) | $92,500 | 6.7% |
| Brambleton, VA | 0.7% (14 Filings) | $175,427 | 42.9% |
| Courtland, VA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $46,300 | 0.0% |
| Roanoke, VA | 0.6% (13 Filings) | $75,046 | 15.4% |
| Leesburg, VA | 0.6% (12 Filings) | $128,440 | 25.0% |
| Winchester, VA | 0.4% (9 Filings) | $110,910 | 0.0% |
| Mc Lean, VA | 0.4% (8 Filings) | $126,750 | 0.0% |
| Petersburg, VA | 0.3% (7 Filings) | $100,000 | 0.0% |
| Hampton, VA | 0.3% (6 Filings) | $79,375 | 0.0% |
| Broadlands, VA | 0.3% (6 Filings) | $177,140 | 33.3% |
| Moseley, VA | 0.3% (6 Filings) | $141,758 | 0.0% |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 0.3% (6 Filings) | $84,563 | 0.0% |
| Tysons Corner, VA | 0.2% (5 Filings) | $145,000 | 20.0% |
| Stafford, VA | 0.2% (5 Filings) | $91,582 | 0.0% |
| Fredericksburg, VA | 0.2% (5 Filings) | $112,167 | 0.0% |
| Dulles, VA | 0.2% (5 Filings) | $94,400 | 0.0% |
| Williamsburg, VA | 0.2% (4 Filings) | $75,856 | 0.0% |
| Chesterfield, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $129,241 | 33.3% |
| Franklin, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $49,887 | 0.0% |
| Alton, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $110,376 | 33.3% |
| Forest, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $110,594 | 33.3% |
| Haymarket, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $140,000 | 0.0% |
| Lorton, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $120,000 | 0.0% |
| Springfield, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $92,000 | 0.0% |
| Centreville, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $120,587 | 0.0% |
| Bristow, VA | 0.1% (3 Filings) | $126,090 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Visa Volume & Success
-87.0% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Virginia.Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developer | 120 | $126,090 | $103,563 Range | +$1,695 Over Min |
| Software Engineer | 82 | $117,021 | $113,300 Range | +$9,610 Over Min |
| It Consultant(Data Engineer) | 23 | $115,939 | $62,296 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Data Analyst | 23 | $109,000 | $63,034 Range | +$16,542 Over Min |
| Assistant Professor | 23 | $100,000 | $191,090 Range | +$36,730 Over Min |
| Data Analyst | 21 | $100,000 | $54,512 Range | +$11,538 Over Min |
| Computer Programmer | 20 | $91,582 | $43,700 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Java Developer | 20 | $110,774 | $49,918 Range | +$3,362 Over Min |
| Senior Manager, Software Engineering | 17 | $204,900 | $47,000 Range | +$29,473 Over Min |
| Data Engineer | 17 | $104,000 | $42,453 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Research Scientist | 17 | $70,000 | $38,397 Range | +$7,496 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 16 | $157,500 | $91,499 Range | +$20,680 Over Min |
| Manager Jc50 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 16 | $111,030 | $36,026 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Development Engineer Ii | 16 | $147,900 | $76,610 Range | +$21,810 Over Min |
| Software Dev Engineer Ii | 16 | $158,300 | $34,200 Range | +$32,210 Over Min |
| Research Associate | 15 | $63,500 | $28,000 Range | +$5,156 Over Min |
| It Consultant(Software Developer) | 15 | $126,090 | $49,337 Range | Baseline Pay |
| It Consultant(Software Systems Engineer) | 14 | $118,310 | $45,053 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Manager | 14 | $158,204 | $87,805 Range | +$3,224 Over Min |
| Devops Engineer | 13 | $132,000 | $45,885 Range | +$5,910 Over Min |
| Teacher | 13 | $46,300 | $800 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Business Analyst | 12 | $90,000 | $47,480 Range | +$1,028 Over Min |
| Business Manager | 11 | $158,400 | $8,203 Range | +$3,914 Over Min |
| Mgr. Jc50 - Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers | 11 | $110,198 | $19,344 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Development Engineer I | 10 | $110,500 | $46,279 Range | +$9,079 Over Min |
| Senior Business Analyst | 10 | $109,000 | $37,336 Range | +$16,542 Over Min |
| Principal Data Analyst | 9 | $112,904 | $21,498 Range | Baseline Pay |
| It Consultant (Software Quality Analyst And Testers ) | 9 | $106,454 | $44,013 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Technical Operations Engineer Ii | 8 | $138,400 | $34,800 Range | +$35,814 Over Min |
| Business Systems Analyst | 8 | $99,880 | $48,381 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Data Scientist | 8 | $140,452 | $80,807 Range | +$10,786 Over Min |
| Lead Software Engineer | 8 | $175,614 | $62,500 Range | +$20,632 Over Min |
| Senior Lead Software Engineer | 7 | $204,900 | $63,300 Range | +$49,919 Over Min |
| Physical Therapist | 7 | $100,000 | $29,749 Range | +$2,261 Over Min |
| Technical Architect | 7 | $118,310 | $64,500 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Developer / Systems Engineer | 6 | $145,472 | $14,031 Range | +$16,674 Over Min |
| Software Architect | 6 | $126,880 | $56,840 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Support Engineer Ii-External | 6 | $106,900 | $16,200 Range | +$2,817 Over Min |
| Principal Software Engineer | 6 | $178,117 | $82,294 Range | +$12,913 Over Min |
| Full Stack Developer | 6 | $101,423 | $34,100 Range | Baseline Pay |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $312,127 | $125,004 | Balanced | $24.00/hr |
| 2025 | +1.9% | $400,000 | $111,946 | Balanced | $20.00/hr |
| 2024 | +3.0% | $400,000 | $109,907 | Balanced | $12.00/hr |
| 2023 | +7.7% | $395,000 | $106,671 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2022 | +1.5% | $400,000 | $99,000 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2021 | +0.9% | $400,000 | $97,500 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2020 | +7.3% | $399,380 | $96,595 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2019 | +3.4% | $400,000 | $90,000 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2018 | +11.5% | $400,000 | $87,000 | Balanced | $11.00/hr |
| 2017 | +8.3% | $397,000 | $78,000 | Balanced | $9.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $72,000 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Virginia.Which city in Virginia pays the highest H-1B salaries?
Mclean represents the top-paying metro area in the state, where H-1B salaries reach a local median of $126,090.
How much state tax will I pay on an H-1B salary in Virginia?
Based on local tax brackets (5.0%), an employee earning the $126,090 median will see around $6,304 withheld for state-level taxes.
What type of companies sponsor the most visas in Virginia?
The Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services sector represents the biggest sponsor, making up 55.0% of all local visa requests.
Is it easy to get Green Card sponsorship in Virginia?
There is an active pathway to permanent residency here. Employers recently submitted 699 PERM applications, establishing a 33.7% Green Card rate.