SOC 25-1051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary — Virginia
Virginia · 1 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Virginia comes to $119,940 a year, ahead of the national median of $103,170 by 16.3%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.6%
- Openings per year
- 1,000
- Typical entry-level education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Virginia.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Virginia comes to $119,940 a year, ahead of the national median of $103,170 by 16.3%. Pay ranges from under $65,240 at the tenth percentile to more than $214,740 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $96,950 to $163,710.
The area has 230 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.89 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Virginia ranks number 6th out of 40 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Virginia Beach records the highest median at $125,320. Of the 747 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 83rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $65,240 | −36.8% |
| 25th | $96,950 | −6.0% |
| Median (50th) | $119,940 | +16.3% |
| 75th | $163,710 | +58.7% |
| 90th | $214,740 | +108.1% |
| Mean | $130,070 | +26.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach | $125,320 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Virginia sit close to the national average, so $119,940 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$119,940as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$118,635US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $119,940 a year, 16.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $65,240 to $214,740 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 230 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 6th of 40 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Virginia Beach, at $125,320.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary in Virginia?
The median annual wage is $119,940, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $103,170, so pay in Virginia is 16.3% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Virginia earns more than $214,740 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $65,240 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Virginia Beach, at $125,320 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 230 jobs in this occupation in Virginia. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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