Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid

Arlington County had the highest wages and salaries paid of 82 counties in 2022, at $23.07 billion. Highland County had the lowest, at $21.55 million. The median was $325.52 million and the figure for Virginia was $308.42 billion. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Keep it in a collection in your library.
Highest23,071.5Arlington County
Lowest21.5Highland County
Median325.582 counties
Virginia308,418.4History

Map of counties, 2022

Accomack County: 784.7 USD millionAmelia County: 132.3 USD millionAmherst County: 385.9 USD millionAppomattox County: 160.4 USD millionArlington County: 23,071.5 USD millionBath County: 123.7 USD millionBedford County: 955.5 USD millionBland County: 108 USD millionBotetourt County: 650.2 USD millionBrunswick County: 171.3 USD millionBuchanan County: 362.2 USD millionBuckingham County: 161 USD millionCaroline County: 304.8 USD millionCharles City County: 107.1 USD millionCharlotte County: 152.8 USD millionChesterfield County: 9,254.1 USD millionClarke County: 224 USD millionCraig County: 39.2 USD millionCulpeper County: 953.4 USD millionCumberland County: 68 USD millionDickenson County: 189.7 USD millionEssex County: 170 USD millionFauquier County: 1,599.3 USD millionFloyd County: 157 USD millionFluvanna County: 299.7 USD millionFranklin County: 773.8 USD millionGiles County: 291.4 USD millionGloucester County: 476.6 USD millionGoochland County: 2,470.8 USD millionGrayson County: 130 USD millionGreene County: 184.4 USD millionHalifax County: 604 USD millionHanover County: 3,498.9 USD millionHenrico County: 14,541.3 USD millionHighland County: 21.5 USD millionIsle of Wight County: 643.5 USD millionKing and Queen County: 59.1 USD millionKing George County: 1,278.2 USD millionKing William County: 237.6 USD millionLancaster County: 260.7 USD millionLee County: 194.3 USD millionLoudoun County: 16,225.1 USD millionLouisa County: 642.8 USD millionLunenburg County: 117.7 USD millionMadison County: 158.7 USD millionMathews County: 70.7 USD millionMecklenburg County: 584.1 USD millionMiddlesex County: 161.9 USD millionNelson County: 189.6 USD millionNew Kent County: 288 USD millionNorthampton County: 189.1 USD millionNorthumberland County: 124.2 USD millionNottoway County: 308.8 USD millionOrange County: 501.4 USD millionPage County: 257.1 USD millionPatrick County: 179.7 USD millionPowhatan County: 438.1 USD millionPrince Edward County: 435.5 USD millionPulaski County: 807.9 USD millionRappahannock County: 86.3 USD millionRichmond County: 146 USD millionRussell County: 342.3 USD millionScott County: 223.8 USD millionShenandoah County: 699.7 USD millionSmyth County: 582.2 USD millionStafford County: 3,492.5 USD millionSurry County: 208.5 USD millionSussex County: 179.1 USD millionTazewell County: 663.4 USD millionWarren County: 738.8 USD millionWestmoreland County: 146.6 USD millionWythe County: 564.6 USD millionAlexandria city: 8,378.7 USD millionChesapeake city: 6,421.2 USD millionHampton city: 3,707.6 USD millionNewport News city: 7,544.9 USD millionNorfolk city: 12,000.1 USD millionPortsmouth city: 3,576.2 USD millionRichmond city: 13,407.7 USD millionRoanoke city: 4,175.4 USD millionSuffolk city: 2,348.7 USD millionVirginia Beach city: 12,169.6 USD million
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USD million, 2022. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

Top 40 counties, 2022

Arlington County: 23,071.5 USD millionArlington County23,071.5Loudoun County: 16,225.1 USD millionLoudoun County16,225.1Henrico County: 14,541.3 USD millionHenrico County14,541.3Richmond city: 13,407.7 USD millionRichmond city13,407.7Virginia Beach city: 12,169.6 USD millionVirginia Beach city12,169.6Norfolk city: 12,000.1 USD millionNorfolk city12,000.1Chesterfield County: 9,254.1 USD millionChesterfield County9,254.1Alexandria city: 8,378.7 USD millionAlexandria city8,378.7Newport News city: 7,544.9 USD millionNewport News city7,544.9Chesapeake city: 6,421.2 USD millionChesapeake city6,421.2Roanoke city: 4,175.4 USD millionRoanoke city4,175.4Hampton city: 3,707.6 USD millionHampton city3,707.6Portsmouth city: 3,576.2 USD millionPortsmouth city3,576.2Hanover County: 3,498.9 USD millionHanover County3,498.9Stafford County: 3,492.5 USD millionStafford County3,492.5Goochland County: 2,470.8 USD millionGoochland County2,470.8Suffolk city: 2,348.7 USD millionSuffolk city2,348.7Fauquier County: 1,599.3 USD millionFauquier County1,599.3King George County: 1,278.2 USD millionKing George County1,278.2Bedford County: 955.5 USD millionBedford County955.5Culpeper County: 953.4 USD millionCulpeper County953.4Pulaski County: 807.9 USD millionPulaski County807.9Accomack County: 784.7 USD millionAccomack County784.7Franklin County: 773.8 USD millionFranklin County773.8Warren County: 738.8 USD millionWarren County738.8Shenandoah County: 699.7 USD millionShenandoah County699.7Tazewell County: 663.4 USD millionTazewell County663.4Botetourt County: 650.2 USD millionBotetourt County650.2Isle of Wight County: 643.5 USD millionIsle of Wight County643.5Louisa County: 642.8 USD millionLouisa County642.8Halifax County: 604 USD millionHalifax County604Mecklenburg County: 584.1 USD millionMecklenburg County584.1Smyth County: 582.2 USD millionSmyth County582.2Wythe County: 564.6 USD millionWythe County564.6Orange County: 501.4 USD millionOrange County501.4Gloucester County: 476.6 USD millionGloucester County476.6Powhatan County: 438.1 USD millionPowhatan County438.1Prince Edward County: 435.5 USD millionPrince Edward County435.5Amherst County: 385.9 USD millionAmherst County385.9Buchanan County: 362.2 USD millionBuchanan County362.2Arlington County: 23,071.5 USD millionArlington County23,071.5Loudoun County: 16,225.1 USD millionLoudoun County16,225.1Henrico County: 14,541.3 USD millionHenrico County14,541.3Richmond city: 13,407.7 USD millionRichmond city13,407.7Virginia Beach city: 12,169.6 USD millionVirginia Beach city12,169.6Norfolk city: 12,000.1 USD millionNorfolk city12,000.1Chesterfield County: 9,254.1 USD millionChesterfield County9,254.1Alexandria city: 8,378.7 USD millionAlexandria city8,378.7Newport News city: 7,544.9 USD millionNewport News city7,544.9Chesapeake city: 6,421.2 USD millionChesapeake city6,421.2Roanoke city: 4,175.4 USD millionRoanoke city4,175.4Hampton city: 3,707.6 USD millionHampton city3,707.6Portsmouth city: 3,576.2 USD millionPortsmouth city3,576.2Hanover County: 3,498.9 USD millionHanover County3,498.9Stafford County: 3,492.5 USD millionStafford County3,492.5Goochland County: 2,470.8 USD millionGoochland County2,470.8Suffolk city: 2,348.7 USD millionSuffolk city2,348.7Fauquier County: 1,599.3 USD millionFauquier County1,599.3King George County: 1,278.2 USD millionKing George County1,278.2Bedford County: 955.5 USD millionBedford County955.5Culpeper County: 953.4 USD millionCulpeper County953.4Pulaski County: 807.9 USD millionPulaski County807.9Accomack County: 784.7 USD millionAccomack County784.7Franklin County: 773.8 USD millionFranklin County773.8Warren County: 738.8 USD millionWarren County738.8Shenandoah County: 699.7 USD millionShenandoah County699.7Tazewell County: 663.4 USD millionTazewell County663.4Botetourt County: 650.2 USD millionBotetourt County650.2Isle of Wight County: 643.5 USD millionIsle of Wight County643.5Louisa County: 642.8 USD millionLouisa County642.8Halifax County: 604 USD millionHalifax County604Mecklenburg County: 584.1 USD millionMecklenburg County584.1Smyth County: 582.2 USD millionSmyth County582.2Wythe County: 564.6 USD millionWythe County564.6Orange County: 501.4 USD millionOrange County501.4Gloucester County: 476.6 USD millionGloucester County476.6Powhatan County: 438.1 USD millionPowhatan County438.1Prince Edward County: 435.5 USD millionPrince Edward County435.5Amherst County: 385.9 USD millionAmherst County385.9Buchanan County: 362.2 USD millionBuchanan County362.2
USD million. Source: BEA, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2022
USD million
Change on 2021
1Arlington County23,071.5+6.3%
2Loudoun County16,225.1+10.4%
3Henrico County14,541.3+8.8%
4Richmond city13,407.7+10.1%
5Virginia Beach city12,169.6+5.6%
6Norfolk city12,000.1+6.7%
7Chesterfield County9,254.1+9.9%
8Alexandria city8,378.7+3.9%
9Newport News city7,544.9+6.2%
10Chesapeake city6,421.2+8.1%
11Roanoke city4,175.4+7.2%
12Hampton city3,707.6+0.7%
13Portsmouth city3,576.2+6.1%
14Hanover County3,498.9+13.6%
15Stafford County3,492.5+6.3%
16Goochland County2,470.8+6.2%
17Suffolk city2,348.7+5.1%
18Fauquier County1,599.3+10.4%
19King George County1,278.2+4.9%
20Bedford County955.5+7.1%
21Culpeper County953.4+7.5%
22Pulaski County807.9+17.7%
23Accomack County784.7-8.1%
24Franklin County773.8+11.5%
25Warren County738.8+7.2%
26Shenandoah County699.7+5.6%
27Tazewell County663.4+11.1%
28Botetourt County650.2+11.8%
29Isle of Wight County643.5+4.3%
30Louisa County642.8+10.3%
31Halifax County604+11%
32Mecklenburg County584.1+11.4%
33Smyth County582.2+7.4%
34Wythe County564.6+12.2%
35Orange County501.4+5.1%
36Gloucester County476.6+7.7%
37Powhatan County438.1+8.9%
38Prince Edward County435.5+3.1%
39Amherst County385.9+7.9%
40Buchanan County362.2+13.1%
41Russell County342.3+6.7%
42Nottoway County308.8+10%
43Caroline County304.8+3.3%
44Fluvanna County299.7+23.8%
45Giles County291.4-10.5%
46New Kent County288+9.5%
47Lancaster County260.7+4.8%
48Page County257.1+5.2%
49King William County237.6+10.7%
50Clarke County224+10.4%
51Scott County223.8+7.5%
52Surry County208.5+5.7%
53Lee County194.3+6.9%
54Dickenson County189.7+8.8%
55Nelson County189.6+10.3%
56Northampton County189.1+10.4%
57Greene County184.4+7.2%
58Patrick County179.7+10.1%
59Sussex County179.1-1.8%
60Brunswick County171.3+12.6%
61Essex County170+9.1%
62Middlesex County161.9+10.1%
63Buckingham County161+7.6%
64Appomattox County160.4+12%
65Madison County158.7+6%
66Floyd County157+12.9%
67Charlotte County152.8+17.2%
68Westmoreland County146.6+9.7%
69Richmond County146+6.6%
70Amelia County132.3+6.2%
71Grayson County130+10.7%
72Northumberland County124.2+4.2%
73Bath County123.7+17.3%
74Lunenburg County117.7-21.3%
75Bland County108+7.6%
76Charles City County107.1+16.1%
77Rappahannock County86.3+12.5%
78Mathews County70.7+10.8%
79Cumberland County68+12%
80King and Queen County59.1+4.5%
81Craig County39.2+13.5%
82Highland County21.5+13.2%

Other periods

About this ranking

Total wages and salaries paid to employees for jobs located in a place, including tips, bonuses and pay in kind, before deductions, in millions of current US dollars. United States: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional accounts, table SAINC4 line 50 for the nation and states and CAINC4 line 50 for counties.

Counted where the jobs are, not where the workers live, so places with many commuters coming in can pay more in wages than their residents receive in personal income (the District of Columbia does). Excludes employer contributions to pensions, insurance and social security, and the income of the self-employed.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2026). CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents (Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip

MLA 9

CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022. U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 5 Feb. 2026, https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2026. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2026) CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents, Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{bureau_counties_in_virginia_by_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis}},
  title = {{CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
TI  - CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents: Counties in Virginia by wages and salaries paid, 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/05
PB  - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/wages-and-salaries/virginia-counties?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. https://apps.bea.gov/regional/zip/CAINC4.zip. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which county has the highest wages and salaries paid?

Arlington County, with $23.07 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Which county has the lowest wages and salaries paid?

Highland County, with $21.55 million in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4: personal income by major component, wages and salaries (published in thousands of dollars, shown in millions), individual counties and county equivalents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Wages and salaries paid: other rankings

Counties in Virginia: more rankings