Healthcare & Medical Jobs in Virginia Beach, VA

Sentara Healthcare is the largest private employer in Virginia Beach, with about 5,200 workers in the city and two hospitals, Sentara Virginia Beach General and Sentara Princess Anne. The guides below cover every healthcare and medical role in Virginia Beach, who is hiring, what it pays and how to get licensed.

Why Healthcare Work Is Different in Virginia Beach

Healthcare in Virginia Beach runs on a regional scale. Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital near First Colonial Road and Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in the southern part of the city anchor the local work, but the biggest concentration of hospital jobs in Hampton Roads sits just across the city line in Norfolk, where Sentara Norfolk General, Sentara Leigh and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters share the medical center district. CHKD also runs its Health and Surgery Center on Concert Drive in Virginia Beach, Bon Secours recruits across Hampton Roads, and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center on Battlefield Boulevard draws staff from the southern half of the city. Most Virginia Beach healthcare workers treat I-264 and the rest of the Southside as one job market.

The military changes the picture too. Naval Air Station Oceana, Dam Neck and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story bring a steady flow of veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses into healthcare, and the Hampton VA Health Care System, including its Chesapeake clinic, adds a large federal employer for nurses, technicians and support staff. Virginia's membership in the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact helps here, since nurses moving in with a multistate license from another compact state can start work without a new Virginia license. Pay runs a little under the national average: federal wage data for the metro put healthcare practitioners at a mean of $47.94 an hour against $49.07 nationally, and healthcare support workers at $16.92 against $18.37.

Top Healthcare Employers in Virginia Beach

These health systems and practices hire across nursing, clinical support and patient services in and around Virginia Beach:

• Sentara Healthcare - the region's dominant health system runs two Virginia Beach hospitals plus urgent cares and practices, and hires nurses for all specialties.
• Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters - the pediatric system has its main hospital in Norfolk, 40-plus outpatient sites and a New Graduate RN Residency.
• Bon Secours Hampton Roads - the Catholic health system hires nurses and support staff across its Hampton Roads hospitals and practices.
• Chesapeake Regional Healthcare - the independent Chesapeake hospital offers an RN Residency, a clinical ladder and nursing commitment bonuses.
• Hampton VA Health Care System - the federal system hires nurses, nursing assistants, pharmacy technicians and medical support assistants for Hampton and its Chesapeake clinic.
• Riverside Health System - the Newport News system hires CNAs and medical assistants and trains new ones through paid Earn and Learn programs.
• Virginia Oncology Associates - the cancer practice runs clinics in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake and hires nurses and medical assistants.

Healthcare Career Paths in Virginia Beach

• Nursing - Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant and Patient Care Technician. The largest track by far, and the one every major Hampton Roads health system recruits for.
• Clinical support and allied health - Medical Assistant, Phlebotomist, Medical Laboratory Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Radiologic Technologist, Surgical Technologist, Respiratory Therapist, Physical Therapy Assistant, EMT and Paramedic, Behavioral Health Technician and Dental Assistant. Shorter training, steady demand in urgent cares, labs and outpatient centers.
• Patient services and the business office - Medical Receptionist and Medical Biller and Coder. Front-desk, scheduling and billing work that keeps clinics running.
• Industry overview - the Healthcare guide, for anyone still deciding which part of the field to enter.

How to Start a Healthcare Career in Virginia Beach

• Virginia Board of Nursing license or certification - required for RNs, LPNs and certified nurse aides. The board sits within the Virginia Department of Health Professions; nurses qualify through a state-approved program, a fingerprint background check and the NCLEX.
• Virginia Board of Pharmacy registration - required for pharmacy technicians. Since July 1, 2025, registration needs a qualifying training program and a pass on the PTCB or NHA exam, with a trainee registration for working while in training.
• National medical assistant certification - not required by Virginia law, which does not license medical assistants, but required by most health systems: the CMA, CCMA, RMA or NCMA.
• Tidewater Community College - the Beazley School of Nursing's Practical Nursing certificate and the Nurse Aide certificate run on the Virginia Beach Campus; the associate degree in nursing runs on the Portsmouth Campus.
• Old Dominion University, Ellmer School of Nursing - BSN through doctoral programs at the Virginia Beach Higher Education Center on University Drive.

Nursing licenses, nurse aide certification and pharmacy technician registration are legal requirements in Virginia; medical assistant certification and Basic Life Support cards are employer requirements rather than state law.

Healthcare Salaries in Virginia Beach

• Entry - about $16 to $21 an hour for nursing assistants, patient care technicians, medical assistants and front-desk staff. Sentara's posted patient care technician range starts near $19.
• Mid - roughly $22 to $35 an hour for LPNs, experienced medical assistants and certified technicians. A recent Sentara LPN posting in Virginia Beach ran $28.57 to $43.04.
• Senior - about $37 to $55 an hour for registered nurses, around a metro median near $43 an hour, or $89,450 a year.

These are estimates from federal wage data for the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro and from local postings. Hospital systems generally pay more than private practices and long-term care, night and weekend shifts add differentials, and sign-on money is common: Sentara has offered up to $8,000 for LPNs, and Chesapeake Regional advertises nursing commitment bonuses of up to $15,000. Federal jobs at the Hampton VA follow government pay scales, with a recent RN posting at $83,487 to $146,572 a year, plus federal benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the biggest healthcare employer in Virginia Beach?

Sentara Healthcare, with about 5,200 employees in the city. It runs Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital and Sentara Princess Anne Hospital, plus urgent cares and physician practices, and its flagship Sentara Norfolk General is a short drive away.

Can a nurse licensed in another state work in Virginia Beach?

Often, yes. Virginia belongs to the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, so a nurse with a multistate license from another compact state can practice here. Nurses from non-compact states apply to the Virginia Board of Nursing for licensure by endorsement, and federal VA jobs accept a full, active license from any state.

How much do nurses make in Virginia Beach?

Registered nurses in the metro earn a median of about $89,450 a year, or roughly $43 an hour. LPN pay in recent local postings ran from the high $20s to the low $40s an hour, depending on employer and experience.

Which healthcare jobs can I start without a degree?

Certified nursing assistant, patient care technician, medical assistant, phlebotomist, pharmacy technician and medical receptionist roles all start with short programs or on-the-job training. Tidewater Community College's Nurse Aide certificate on the Virginia Beach Campus takes one semester.

Are there healthcare jobs for military spouses and veterans?

Yes. The compact nursing license makes moves into Hampton Roads easier for military spouses who are nurses, and the Hampton VA Health Care System posts nursing, pharmacy and support jobs on USAJobs. Sentara also accepts Navy Hospital Corps School training and EMT certification for some patient care and medical assistant roles.

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