Virginia RN Jobs 2025: Richmond, NoVA Salaries, Compact License & Top Hospitals

NoVA pays DC money without DC taxes. I'm working at Inova Fairfax making $92K, living in Arlington paying $1,800 rent, and commuting 20 minutes. My buddy at Georgetown Hospital in DC makes $95K but pays DC income tax AND $2,600 rent. I win that math every month. Richmond's cheaper but you're not making NoVA salaries - it's the classic urban/rural Virginia split.

Virginia's quietly one of the best nursing states. Compact license, strong systems like VCU and UVA for academic medicine, and you can actually afford to live here if you avoid the DC suburbs. This guide breaks down where the money's actually good and which hospitals treat their nurses right.

RN Salaries by Metro

NoVA leads pay due to COL; Richmond balances pay and affordability; coastal markets trend slightly lower but offer lifestyle advantages.

Top Hospital Systems

Final Take: Virginia's the Goldilocks State

Here's my take: Virginia's not flashy like California or dirt-cheap like Tennessee, but it's the Goldilocks state - everything's just right if you're strategic. NoVA pays DC-level money without DC taxes or dysfunction. Richmond gives you capital-city vibes with affordable living and VCU's academic medicine. Hampton Roads if you want Navy life and beaches. The compact license means flexibility.

My advice? If you're young and maximizing income, go NoVA and stack cash. If you've got a family and want balance, Richmond or Charlottesville near UVA. Skip rural Virginia unless you really love small-town life - the pay drops fast outside metro areas. Virginia won't wow anyone, but it quietly delivers solid nursing careers without the chaos of bigger markets. That's the point.