Accountant salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC
Hiring an accountant costs less in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake than in Virginia or the country as a whole. The median is $79,450 a year1: 14.8% below the Virginia statewide median of $93,290 and 5.1% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #145 of 521. About 6,160 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | $54,990 | $79,450 | $127,900 | |
| Virginia | $60,000 | $93,290 | $156,730 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake earns $63,910–$102,430. The top tenth earns $127,900 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($88,390) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $38,520 wide, against $49,260 across Virginia and $42,790 nationally: employers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,990 | $4,582 | $26.44 | $70,955 |
| 25th percentile | $63,910 | $5,326 | $30.73 | $82,465 |
| Median | $79,450 | $6,621 | $38.20 | $102,516 |
| 75th percentile | $102,430 | $8,536 | $49.25 | $132,168 |
| 90th percentile | $127,900 | $10,658 | $61.49 | $165,032 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $22,980 a year in pay and about $29,652 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,540 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, and the Virginia statewide median of $93,290 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $23,066 to the $79,450 median and brings it to $102,516 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
Of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($104,920); recruiters come next at $76,240.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +32.1% | 6,040 | |
| Accountant | this role | 6,160 | |
| Recruiter | -4.0% | 4,290 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -12.4% | 3,500 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.9% | 1,140 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake (-5.1%), between paralegals (-4.9%) and HR assistants (-5.2%). The typical role here is at -6.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, 11.0% across Virginia and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $74,800 in Blacksburg-Christiansburg to $84,220 in Richmond, a gap of $9,420 a year. The one area in Virginia with more accountants, Richmond, VA ($84,220), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | +6.0% | 7,920 | |
| Charlottesville, VA | +2.6% | 1,100 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 6,160 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -0.4% | 340 | |
| Lynchburg, VA | -0.6% | 680 | |
| Northwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 400 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -2.3% | 590 |
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake is #45 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Virginia, Crestview-Fort Walton Beach and Peoria pay just above Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Port St. Lucie and Cape Coral-Fort Myers just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +20.8% | 6,780 | jobs | |
| Peoria, IL | +0.1% | 1,350 | pay | |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | +0.1% | 840 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 6,160 | ||
| Port St. Lucie, FL | -0.0% | 1,170 | pay | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | -0.0% | 2,440 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -2.7% | 6,700 | jobs | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -4.0% | 5,670 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC?
About $102,516 a year at the median, or $8,543 a month: $79,450 in pay plus about $23,066 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
The median was $79,450 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $54,990, the 90th $127,900, and the middle half earned $63,910 to $102,430.
Is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake cheaper than the rest of Virginia for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $79,450 against $93,290 statewide. The next area up in Virginia is Charlottesville at $81,530, the next down the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area at $79,170.
How many accountants work in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
BLS counts about 6,160 in the May 2025 survey. Only Richmond has more in Virginia.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
Yes: $3,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $79,450 and $76,240.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.