Systems Engineer / Architect salary in Virginia Beach, VA
Based on 139 certified H-1B filings in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Williamsburg, Portsmouth.
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $95,160 |
| 25th | $106,018 |
| 50th (median) | $111,030 |
| 75th | $120,307 |
| 90th | $139,107 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $85,000 | $79,934 | $101,504 | 161 |
| FY2021 | $89,440 | $77,522 | $102,129 | 85 |
| FY2022 | $95,171 | $82,800 | $107,947 | 90 |
| FY2023 | $96,900 | $83,600 | $115,307 | 63 |
| FY2024 | $106,018 | $87,145 | $115,400 | 112 |
| FY2025 | $106,018 | $106,018 | $120,307 | 94 |
| FY2026 | $111,030 | $111,030 | $126,922 | 45 |
Cost of living
Virginia Beach's median Systems Engineer / Architect salary of $111,030 is worth about $113,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Virginia Beach = 97.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Computer Systems Engineers/Architects in the Virginia Beach, VA area earned a median of $116,920 in May 2025 (3,490 employed). The H-1B median here is $111,030, 5% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | $111,030 | 93 |
| Elevance Health | $138,989 | 10 |
| UST | too few | 6 |
| The Elevance Health Companies | too few | 5 |
| Wipro | too few | 3 |
| Virtusa | too few | 2 |
| GAVS Technologies | too few | 2 |
| H3 Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Lakarya | too few | 2 |
| National Center for State Courts | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $95,160 | 33 |
| Senior · Level III | $111,030 | 69 |
| Expert · Level IV | $126,922 | 35 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $91,749 | $95,160 | 33 |
| Senior · Level III | $106,018 | $111,030 | 69 |
| Expert · Level IV | $120,307 | $126,922 | 35 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.