SOC 53-5031 · Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro

Ship Engineers Salary in Virginia Beach, VA

The average salary for ship engineers in Virginia Beach, Virginia is $91,010 a year ($43.76 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $82,370: half of the 1,420 people in this job in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($113,388).

$91,010average per year

$43.76 / hourMedian $82,370Take-home ≈ $68,437

  • $47K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $116K75th
  • $149K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,420people in this job
-20%vs U.S. metro average
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Ship Engineers pay range in Virginia Beach

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,420 a year or less, while the top 10% make $149,170 or more. The middle half of ship engineers in Virginia Beach earn between $56,700 and $116,040.

  • $47K10th
  • $57K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $116K75th
  • $149K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$91,010$7,584$43.75
Median$82,370$6,864$39.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$56,700$4,725$27.26
Experienced (75th percentile)$116,040$9,670$55.79

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Ship Engineers salary after taxes in Virginia Beach

On the average salary of $91,010, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $68,437 a year, or $5,703 a month and $2,632 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NC$69,733$5,811
Working in VA$68,437$5,703

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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Is Virginia Beach a good place for ship engineers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $91,010 buys what about $92,923 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $91,010 is worth in another city

Ship Engineers salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for ship engineers

New Orleans, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($151,960).

Ship Engineers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Ship Engineers in Virginia Beach, VA.

Ship Engineers salary in Virginia Beach: questions

How much do ship engineers make an hour in Virginia Beach?

$43.76 an hour on average, and $39.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level ship engineers salary in Virginia Beach?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $47,420 a year and the 25th percentile is $56,700, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the ship engineers take-home pay in Virginia Beach?

About $68,437 a year ($5,703 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $91,010.

Do ship engineers earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($113,388).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-5031; area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 34.36, this job is 34.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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