Jobs, pay and daily life in Fairfax, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Fairfax is a city in Virginia with 25,026 residents. The median household earns $132,348 a year and the median rent is $2,245 a month, which is 20.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, where BLS counts 3,136,190 jobs.
How Fairfax compares. Among the 100 largest places in Virginia, Fairfax is #46 by population, #23 for remote work (#1 = most), #32 for college degrees (#1 = most), #66 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Fairfax, is #15 of 133 counties for average pay ($70,382).
Fairfax has 25,026 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Virginia. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 4,010 people per square mile. The median age is 36.6, 6% younger than the state median (36.6 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $2,245 a month (rent plus utilities), 42% above the state median ($2,245 against $1,579). Over a year that is 20.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $722,600, which is 5.5 times the median household income ($132,348); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 69.9% of households own their home, 4% above the state average (69.9% against 67.3%).
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area has 3,136,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $71,060 a year, 39% above the national median ($71,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (369,190 jobs, median $105,260); management (319,760 jobs, median $165,010); office and administrative support (290,050 jobs, median $53,250). The area is most specialised in legal (2.6 times) and computer and mathematical (2.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are legal ($175,070) and management ($165,010). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Fairfax was 3.2%. 70.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Fairfax; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 52.5% drive alone, 3.9% use public transit, 2.9% walk, 29.1% work from home. 18.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (18.1% against 17.6%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.
62.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 48% above the state share (62.4% against 42.2%). 30.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 133% above the state share (30.6% against 13.1%). The poverty rate is 9.1%, 8% below the state rate (9.1% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.4°C). About 1,117 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (120 mm) and Jan the driest (65 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Oakton (3 miles, similar rent); Fair Oaks (3 miles, similar rent); Merrifield (3 miles, rent 5% higher); Vienna (4 miles, rent 7% higher). Rent differences are against Fairfax; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Virginia (1,132) →State guide: VirginiaCountry guideFairfaxVirginia rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,132 federal postings open in Virginia (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Virginia →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 112,530 | 1.59 | $156,460 | $67,600 | $291,420 | +48% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 76,600 | 3.49 | $104,770 | $59,010 | $184,020 | +26% |
| Software Developers | 69,060 | 2.03 | $154,930 | $96,450 | $213,660 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 66,920 | 0.85 | $36,610 | $30,640 | $47,800 | +3% |
| Management Analysts | 62,360 | 3.44 | $126,830 | $78,970 | $181,280 | +25% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 60,560 | 0.78 | $34,600 | $30,460 | $42,490 | +11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 59,090 | 1.33 | $37,840 | $31,720 | $48,780 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 50,600 | 0.81 | $35,470 | $30,330 | $44,710 | +8% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 50,450 | 0.58 | $38,530 | $30,670 | $46,080 | +8% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Registered Nurses | 46,830 | 0.69 | $102,710 | $80,750 | $132,900 | +5% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 46,160 | 1.01 | $46,040 | $31,880 | $81,060 | +31% |
| Managers, All Other | 42,010 | 3.35 | $170,980 | $128,610 | $221,230 | +20% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 41,470 | 1.42 | $102,140 | $67,530 | $170,980 | +22% |
| Security Guards | 40,950 | 1.58 | $46,830 | $36,530 | $78,790 | +23% |
| Office Clerks, General | 39,410 | 0.79 | $51,880 | $36,230 | $76,240 | +15% |
| Project Management Specialists | 38,230 | 1.78 | $127,030 | $74,110 | $192,450 | +24% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 37,010 | 1.08 | $53,660 | $37,890 | $79,660 | +13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 36,750 | 0.70 | $46,220 | $35,640 | $73,150 | +3% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 35,340 | 0.62 | $37,870 | $31,280 | $50,050 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatrists | 550 | 0.97 | $246,990 | $45,150 | $377,060 | -12% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 770 | 1.17 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,470 | 0.68 | $225,140 | $125,150 | $329,200 | -8% |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 1,370 | 1.01 | $223,250 | $60,580 | $423,610 | -13% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 5,100 | 2.44 | $209,750 | $94,790 | $358,480 | -10% |
| Physicians, All Other | 10,650 | 1.54 | $208,710 | $77,430 | $402,900 | -22% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 20,800 | 1.54 | $195,190 | $133,100 | $295,960 | +11% |
| Lawyers | 46,840 | 3.08 | $195,190 | $106,520 | $382,890 | +22% |
| Public Relations Managers | 9,470 | 6.27 | $195,190 | $117,350 | $340,440 | +33% |
| Financial Managers | 26,430 | 1.56 | $185,270 | $122,670 | $327,470 | +11% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5,500 | 1.24 | $185,220 | $138,180 | $259,680 | +8% |
| Dentists, General | 3,040 | 1.21 | $184,540 | $105,610 | $324,370 | +8% |
| Marketing Managers | 8,900 | 1.12 | $181,260 | $106,860 | $296,500 | +9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 6,280 | 1.41 | $177,960 | $111,720 | $282,330 | +19% |
| Sales Managers | 8,780 | 0.68 | $175,820 | $83,560 | $306,700 | +19% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 1,800 | 3.96 | $174,870 | $47,760 | $225,680 | +18% |
| Pediatricians, General | 550 | 0.69 | $172,520 | $79,240 | $354,030 | -18% |
| Purchasing Managers | 4,180 | 2.46 | $172,150 | $132,890 | $217,790 | +16% |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 590 | 1.27 | $171,950 | $116,580 | $281,000 | +15% |
| Physicists | 1,520 | 3.69 | $171,580 | $98,950 | $225,680 | -0% |
These figures are for the whole Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $71,060 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 27.8% |
| Education and health care | 19.9% |
| Retail trade | 10.2% |
| Public administration | 7.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 6.7% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.6% |
| Construction | 6.4% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Manufacturing | 4.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.5% |
| Information | 2.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.1% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Fairfax lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | 25,026 | n/a | n/a | 24,181 | 1,798 | $70,382 | +3.4% | 3.2% | 14,160 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 3,980 | 20.5% | $49,762 | 1.15 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,428 | 17.6% | $124,680 | 2.04 |
| Retail trade | 3,214 | 16.5% | $53,528 | 1.33 |
| Accommodation and food services | 3,032 | 15.6% | $33,834 | 1.38 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,666 | 8.6% | $47,765 | 1.17 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 958 | 4.9% | $51,627 | 1.32 |
| Finance and insurance | 773 | 4.0% | $117,753 | 0.79 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 595 | 3.1% | $25,304 | 1.46 |
| Construction | 521 | 2.7% | $73,737 | 0.41 |
| Educational services | 365 | 1.9% | $32,457 | 0.73 |
| Real estate and rental | 220 | 1.1% | $70,836 | 0.59 |
| Management of companies | 192 | 1.0% | $115,286 | 0.47 |
| Information | 179 | 0.9% | $88,221 | 0.39 |
| Wholesale trade | 169 | 0.9% | $85,582 | 0.18 |
| Manufacturing | 137 | 0.7% | $57,229 | 0.07 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 52.5% |
| Public transit | 3.9% |
| Walk | 2.9% |
| Work from home | 29.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 18.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $132,348 |
| Income per person | $63,647 |
| Median gross rent per month | $2,245 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.4% |
| Median home value | $722,600 |
| Homeowners | 69.9% |
| Poverty rate | 9.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 108.9 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $71,060 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 5.75%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 62.4% |
| Born abroad | 30.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 70.5% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.4 | 31 | 65 |
| Feb | 0.8 | 33 | 67 |
| Mar | 5.6 | 42 | 81 |
| Apr | 12.1 | 54 | 94 |
| May | 17.6 | 64 | 120 |
| Jun | 22.7 | 73 | 116 |
| Jul | 25.6 | 78 | 108 |
| Aug | 24.9 | 77 | 95 |
| Sep | 20.8 | 69 | 108 |
| Oct | 13.7 | 57 | 99 |
| Nov | 7.0 | 45 | 77 |
| Dec | 1.9 | 35 | 87 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakton | VA | 3 mi | 36,528 | $160,663 | $2,276 |
| Fair Oaks | VA | 3 mi | 35,545 | $123,947 | $2,275 |
| Merrifield | VA | 3 mi | 20,698 | $136,373 | $2,368 |
| Vienna | VA | 4 mi | 16,412 | $216,953 | $2,391 |
| Burke Centre | VA | 4 mi | 17,037 | $164,123 | $2,515 |
| Burke | VA | 6 mi | 44,029 | $185,818 | $2,894 |
| Idylwood | VA | 6 mi | 17,559 | $120,109 | $2,045 |
| Annandale | VA | 6 mi | 41,705 | $116,263 | $1,933 |
| Wolf Trap | VA | 6 mi | 15,858 | $250,001 | $3,501 |
| West Falls Church | VA | 6 mi | 31,279 | $134,978 | $2,066 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
25,026 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$2,245 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.4% of the median household income.
$132,348 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Fairfax (latest month 2026M09)).
Virginia. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.