This page is built from the open postings on hospital and health-system career sites in Virginia listed on Betterleap's job board: 7,668 open positions from 53 employers as of October 26, 2026, 3.6% of all open postings on the board, which ranks Virginia #9 of 51 states. Registered nurses are 52.3% of the state's postings (2,046). Every figure below is a count or a posted pay range, never a job description; the method is at the end.
Where the jobs are in Virginia
| # | City | Open postings | of which RN | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlottesville, VA | 929 | 164 | 8 |
| 2 | Norfolk, VA | 746 | 228 | 7 |
| 3 | Roanoke, VA | 630 | 177 | 6 |
| 4 | Richmond, VA | 616 | 161 | 17 |
| 5 | Virginia Beach, VA | 406 | 103 | 6 |
| 6 | Falls Church, VA | 207 | 110 | 3 |
| 7 | Fairfax, VA | 200 | 48 | 4 |
| 8 | Riverside Regional Medical Center - Newport News, VA | 174 | 75 | 1 |
Every city links to its live listings; the state's registered-nurse listings are at RN jobs in Virginia.
Health systems hiring the most in Virginia
Counted by open postings on the system's own career site, so a system that lists every unit and shift separately ranks higher than one that posts one evergreen requisition per role.
| # | Employer | Open postings in VA |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sentara Healthcare | 1,895 |
| 2 | University of Virginia Health System | 1,100 |
| 3 | Carilion Clinic | 835 |
| 4 | Inova Health System | 745 |
| 5 | Riverside Health System | 725 |
| 6 | Bon Secours Mercy Health | 604 |
| 7 | VCU Health System | 429 |
| 8 | DaVita | 189 |
Which roles Virginia employers are hiring
| Role | Open postings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| registered nurses | 2,046 | 52.3% |
| patient care technicians | 362 | 9.3% |
| physicians | 318 | 8.1% |
| medical assistants | 293 | 7.5% |
| licensed practical nurses | 260 | 6.6% |
| physical therapists | 226 | 5.8% |
| radiologic technologists | 223 | 5.7% |
| patient access representatives | 182 | 4.7% |
What nursing jobs pay in Virginia
For reference, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 77,490 registered nurses employed in Virginia with a mean wage of $45.12 an hour ($93,850 a year), OEWS May 2025.
Where enough Virginia postings state a pay range with both ends (22.4% of them do), the median midpoint of the posted range, converted to hourly (annual divided by 2,080), with the middle half of postings and the BLS May 2025 state mean for the same occupation:
| Role | Postings with a range | Median posted midpoint | Middle half of postings | BLS mean | Posted vs BLS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| registered nurses | 453 | $46.00/hr | $43.50 to $47.50 | $45.12/hr | +2% |
Not shown: licensed practical nurses (no BLS reference loaded for this occupation yet); certified nursing assistants (no BLS reference loaded for this occupation yet).
Licensing: working as a nurse in Virginia
Virginia is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) according to NCSBN's compact map (read September 26, 2026, which lists 40 member states). A nurse whose primary state of residence is Virginia can hold a multistate license and practice in every other compact state without a new application, and a nurse with a multistate license issued elsewhere can accept a job in Virginia without waiting for an endorsement. The state's board of nursing contact page is on NCSBN.
Licensing is issued by the state board of nursing: an approved nursing program, the NCLEX-RN (or NCLEX-PN), a background check and the board's application. The board's own pages are the source of truth for fees and timelines; this page does not restate them.
How this is built
- Scope: open postings on public hospital and health-system career sites, counted as of the date shown; job descriptions are never republished. Only postings whose location is in Virginia count here; a posting listing several sites counts once, at its first site.
- Pay point: midpoint of the posted range, hourly (annual ÷ 2080), only where both ends and the unit are posted. The top of a posted range is never used as "the pay". A posted median is published only with at least 100 postings and within a third of the BLS mean.
- Freshness: counts are refreshed monthly and the page shows its date; a posting that leaves an employer's site drops out.
- References: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates; NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact map data, read September 26, 2026.
Data as of October 26, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How many open nursing jobs are there in Virginia right now?
7,668 open postings from 53 hospital and health-system employers in Virginia as of October 26, 2026, 2,046 of them for registered nurses. Charlottesville has the most (929), then Norfolk (746).
What do registered nurses earn in Virginia?
The BLS OEWS May 2025 mean for registered nurses in Virginia is $45.12 an hour, $93,850 a year, across 77,490 employed RNs. Open postings that state a range (453 of them) have a median midpoint of $46.00 an hour, +2% versus the BLS mean.
Is Virginia a Nurse Licensure Compact state?
Yes. Virginia is an NLC member per NCSBN's compact map (read September 26, 2026), so a multistate license issued by another compact state is valid there.
Which hospitals are hiring nurses in Virginia?
By open postings on their own career sites: Sentara Healthcare (1,895), University of Virginia Health System (1,100), Carilion Clinic (835) and 5 more listed above, as of October 26, 2026.
