25 of the Highest Paying Jobs in Chesapeake, VA for 2023

The top jobs in the Chesapeake area can pay up to $181,260 per year

High Paying Chesapeake Jobs

• Forensic Psychologist

  Salary range: $83,517-$181,260 per year

  Forensic Psychologists analyze data and conduct research on criminal behavior. They determine what the characteristics of a criminal may be based on patterns, evidence, and the background of that individual. Law enforcement officials rely on Forensic Psychologists to create criminal profiles of a crime to help narrow the field of suspects. These specialists may also need to act as expert witnesses in a case, testifying whether or not they believe a defendant was likely to commit the crime on trial.

• Pmhnp

  Salary range: $107,838-$155,103 per year

  As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, often shortened to PMHNP, your job is to help diagnose mental health conditions in a patient and prescribe the best course of treatment. As part of this, you may use multiple assessment exams to identify the condition, research treatment strategies, or talk with the patient to better understand their unique history and needs. Unlike most other mental health practitioners, you also perform physical assessments and diagnostic exams instead of focusing exclusively on the mind. PMHNPs may work in a clinic, but you can also find this job in hospitals and other advanced care facilities.

• Nurse Practitioner

  Salary range: $87,188-$117,016 per year

  Nurse practitioners are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with additional responsibilities including prescribing medication, examining patients, diagnosing illnesses, and providing treatment, much as physicians do. Nurse practitioners are educated and trained to provide health care services, such as the diagnosis and treatment of acute illness and chronic conditions.

• Cyber Security

  Salary range: $55,066-$105,085 per year

  As a cybersecurity professional, you help protect sensitive data and information online and on your employer’s servers. You manage firewalls, encryption, and databases, working at all times to stay ahead of whatever security threats might be putting your employer at risk. Cybersecurity is never a completed task; you must continue to assess risks and implement updates to stay ahead of them.

• Wildlife Biologist

  Salary range: $71,586-$99,578 per year

  Wildlife biology is the study of animals in their natural habitat. A wildlife biologist, also called a zoologist, conducts studies to understand animal populations in their natural habitat. They keep records, organize and present findings, and run experiments. Wildlife biologists may also work for governments or animal advocacy groups, making recommendations for policies and advocating for habitat protections. Wildlife biologists may get to interact with animals to identify their needs, so this is one of the top jobs for animal lovers.

• Travel Paramedic

  Salary range: $50,936-$95,448 per year

  A travel paramedic is an EMT specialist who travels domestically or abroad to provide extra urgent care coverage in areas that lack emergency response workers. Some travel paramedics may work in air emergency response roles, where air transport is provided to a patient who has an emergency in a remote area, such as a national park or wilderness. As a travel paramedic, you perform the same duties as other medical responders, such as providing immediate stabilization and medical care while the patient is being transported to a medical care facility. Your responsibilities also include relaying your observations to physicians and nurses, documenting your actions, and maintaining inventory and order in your vehicle.

• Game Tester

  Salary range: $28,451-$89,941 per year

  Game testers ensure the quality and condition of video and mobile games for game production companies. Game testers also test hardware, such as gaming consoles and controllers to ensure quality, durability, and functionality. A core responsibility of a game tester is to identify bugs, glitches, and problems that potentially inhibit game operation and obstruct user experience. Also, game testers collaborate with visual designers and programmers to remedy the problems they find in games.

• LPN Travel Assignment

  Salary range: $54,148-$83,517 per year

  LPN travel assignment jobs include a variety of positions that require traveling to visit patients in their homes or to provide assistance to residents at nursing facilities or hospitals that are short-handed. Your duties include providing long term care or extra assistance in remote areas that need additional medical professionals. As an LPN with a travel assignment, you typically are typically assigned responsibilities by a central staffing agency, and your duties include providing everyday care, such as helping patients to and from their bed, helping them to eat and clean, and listening to them.

• RN

  Salary range: $55,525-$79,387 per year

  An RN, short for Registered Nurse, works closely with doctors to provide patient care for illnesses and injuries. RNs are often the first medical professional the patient sees when entering a health care facility. As an RN, you can ask the patient questions and document their health history, but you are not allowed to diagnose patients; after the doctor or other supervising health care professional has determined what problem needs to be treated, you help administer treatment. Your job duties may include administering medications, checking patient vital signs, and charting medical records. RNs also advise patients and families about at-home care for medical conditions as well as disease prevention.

• Public Health

  Salary range: $43,135-$78,010 per year

  Public health encompasses the study of factors that influence people’s health and promote preventative care. Its research focuses on how to keep residents safe and healthy. The public health sector is comprised of many different roles, and includes doctors, nurses, researchers, lab technicians, social workers, administrators. Public relations and marketing professionals also work in public health to educate the public on new health care research and healthy lifestyle choices. The primary goal of all public health employees is to find the best ways to promote information that protects the wellbeing of the community-at-large.

• Social Worker

  Salary range: $40,382-$59,196 per year

  Social Workers help individuals, children, and families from all backgrounds to overcome personal difficulties and help their clients get the help they need. Assistance may include food and housing subsidies, health care, and job training. Part of their duties involve crisis prevention; many of their clients deal with poverty, abuse, addiction, and unemployment.

• Crime Scene Investigator

  Salary range: $37,628-$57,360 per year

  Crime scene investigators (CSI) work closely with law enforcement officials to collect and examine evidence at crime scenes. Evidence includes DNA samples (hair, bodily fluids, blood stain patterns), impressions (footprints, fingerprints, tire marks, bite marks), trace evidence (clothing fibers, accelerant, paint, glass), and weapons (guns, bullet casings, gun. powder patterns). Crime scene investigators ensure the evidence is handled and processed according to strict standards to not compromise it in any way. Some crime scene investigators specialize in digital investigations and collect evidence analyzing data in cases of fraud or scams.

• Plumber

  Salary range: $39,005-$56,443 per year

  Plumbers install, maintain, and repair water pipes, drains, and fixtures in new and existing buildings. They identify and resolve a variety of issues, as well as have the stamina to perform often challenging physical labor. Job duties include installing or fixing garbage disposals, toilets, shower and sink drains, and sometimes sewage lines. While plumbers do perform routine maintenance as a part of their work, they are often needed in emergency situations, such as leaking or burst pipes. For this reason, good plumbers are generally in demand and enjoy some job security. The nature of their work means they are often up at odd hours or on-call during weekends and holidays.

• Librarian

  Salary range: $37,628-$55,525 per year

  Librarians do everything from organizing community events and programs to helping professionals and students research scholarly and public information in libraries. They educate patrons on technology, offer help finding obscure legal records, business competitor data, and various other information, and provide book recommendations. They are knowledgeable on several topics and can give computer tips and advice on general library materials, including graphic novels, movies, and other media available for check-out.

• LPN

  Salary range: $38,087-$53,689 per year

  A Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN, is a Nurse who performs patient care and administrative tasks. They work under the supervision of Registered Nurses and doctors. Some of the responsibilities of an LPN include, administiring medications, changing bandages, monitoring and documenting the patients health, supervising nursing aids, and providing emotional support to patients and their families. LPNs generally work in traditional health care settings like hospitals, nursing homes, and group homes. They can also work in private homes if needed.

• Mystery Shopper

  Salary range: $20,191-$47,724 per year

  Companies hire mystery shoppers to pose as a client or customer and provide feedback about their experience. As a mystery shopper, you are given instructions on what to ask or buy in the assigned location. For example, you may need to ask specific questions to the waiter at a restaurant, or buy a particular clothing item and chronicle the buying experience from the moment you walk into the store to when you pay for the item. You may be required to submit photos or video with your report. Mystery shoppers conduct assignments discreetly so that the employees do not know they are monitoring their experience.

• Photographer

  Salary range: $25,238-$45,888 per year

  Professional photographers capture moments using cameras and other equipment. They often take pictures of people, but they also photograph outdoor locations, artwork, animals, and a wide range of other subjects. Photographers may take pictures for their own use, or they may be hired by individuals, groups, or companies. Before the photo shoot, professional photographers offer advice about locations, settings, and poses based on their expertise. Standard tools used by a photographer include a camera, tripod, different types of camera lenses, photo editing software, and backdrops. Professional photographers may work independently on a contract basis, or they may work for a company or agency as a staff photographer.

• Park Ranger

  Salary range: $28,451-$45,429 per year

  Park rangers often work for federal or state governments and are responsible for caring for and protecting woodlands, forests and conservatories. Most of their days are spent outdoors patrolling campgrounds, trails, and various park areas. Park rangers sometimes give tours and answer questions from guests and visitors in the park. They also play a key role in search and rescue missions when needed.

• DATA Entry

  Salary range: $25,697-$44,512 per year

  Data entry jobs involve typing information into electronic formats, whether that’s word processing, spreadsheets, or specific software. It’s a great career option for detail-oriented people—or even those who prefer to work remotely from home. Data entry jobs typically use a computer to enter data or information, often from a hard-copy paper format, into a software application. Some positions may include scanning documents and using optical character recognition or OCR. Some examples of data entry job duties include transcribing, updating customer information, and entering accounting records.

• Welder

  Salary range: $31,204-$40,840 per year

  The primary job of welders is to join metal together using intense heat. They work in a wide range of industries from manufacturing to aerospace to oil drilling. Other industries that use welders include automobile, manufacturing, construction, or maritime. As a welder, you execute projects according to your client’s specifications. You must understand the details of different welding metals, including stainless steel, aluminum, and brass, and you must be able to read blueprints and follow technical instructions. Additional job duties depend on your specific industry. You can also get voluntary certification from the American Welding Society (AWS) to prove your proficiency in the trade.

• Spanish Translator

  Salary range: $27,533-$40,840 per year

  A Spanish translator converts written text from the source language to the target language, usually English to Spanish or Spanish to English. As a Spanish translator, you need strong communication abilities, particularly in reading comprehension and writing skills in Spanish, English, and any other languages to which you translate the text. Cultural sensitivity is also a key component of being a Spanish translator. Your work can include medical records, immigration documents, school transcripts, resumes and job qualifications, academic writing, articles, essays, poems, and books.

• Independent Courier

  Salary range: $27,533-$40,382 per year

  As an independent courier, your duties are to pick up, transport, and deliver documents, supplies, and packages. Some independent couriers make their deliveries via bike while other workers drive cars, vans, or delivery trucks. As an independent courier, you typically contract with your clients directly, rather than working through a courier service, although some couriers also find work through online services or job boards. To be an independent courier, you must have your own vehicle or another reliable method of transportation.

• Phlebotomy

  Salary range: $27,992-$40,382 per year

  Phlebotomy is the drawing or collection of blood for medical purposes, typically for testing, donation, or transfusions. A phlebotomist is a medical professional who draws blood. Phlebotomists mostly collect venous blood samples through venipuncture, using an evacuated tube system, though other methods may be used depending on the patient and purpose. Finger and heal pricks are also common. Phlebotomists may use additional equipment, including antiseptic wipes, gloves, syringes, and bandages during the process. They may also be responsible for maintaining blood draw equipment, preparing patients, and labeling and tracking blood samples.

• Hotel

  Salary range: $24,779-$35,334 per year

  Hotel jobs are jobs at hotels, motels, or other lodging establishments, such as a bed and breakfast or retreat. Your primary job duties depend on your position at the hotel. Housekeepers, for example, are responsible for ensuring that each guest’s room remains tidy and supplied with necessary amenities. Hotel desk clerks, meanwhile, are responsible for checking in guests and providing them with information about the hotel’s services and amenities. There are also a number of other service jobs connected to the hotel industry, such as chefs or room service workers.

• Receptionist

  Salary range: $22,944-$31,663 per year

  Receptionists work in an administrative role in an office or other setting. They greet clients, patients, vendors, or anyone else who enters the company’s office or facility. The Receptionist is typically the first person you see representing the company, so part of their job is to make a good impression on everyone they meet. They also answer phones and other administrative tasks. Specific job duties depend upon the industry in which they are employed.

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