What Virginia plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay
Findings from 197 live postings on manufacturers' own careers sites in Virginia, week of October 19, 2026. Each one shows how many postings it rests on; anything with too few is left out.
What most plant jobs ask for
The typical plant posting in Virginia asks for 5+ years, and 43% require a degree outright. The skills named most are Team leadership, Lean, Root cause.
- Team leadershipnamed in 34% of postingsTop
- Leannamed in 30% of postings
- Root causenamed in 29% of postings
- Six Sigmanamed in 19% of postings
- New product launchnamed in 18% of postings
- Toolingnamed in 17% of postings
- Six Sigma / belt18% of postings
- Travel stated6% of postings
Based on 197 postings. Link to this finding
Unusual opportunities worth a look
Perks and openings most plant postings don't offer, and how many in Virginia do right now.
- Paid relocation15 postings (8%)
- Formal training program22 postings (11%)
- Stated promotion path44 postings (22%)Top
- Tuition help35 postings (18%)
- New plant or launch17 postings (9%)
- Hybrid or remote days5 postings (3%)
- Sign-on bonus5 postings (3%)
🔒 6 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Systems Engineering Manager · Boeing · Herndon, VA
Based on 197 postings. Link to this finding
The best-paying open roles right now
The highest posted ranges for engineering-level plant roles in Virginia.
🔒 5 more example roles behind this finding. See them with a free account →
- Principal Quality Engineer · BAE Systems · Manassas, VA · $118k–$201k
Based on 22 postings. Link to this finding
How often a degree is required
43% of plant postings in Virginia require a degree outright. Highest in aerospace & defense (67%), lowest in industrial (44%).
- Aerospace & defense67% of 36 postingsTop
- Industrial44% of 102 postings
Based on 197 postings. Link to this finding
Off-shift and weekend coverage
28% of plant postings in Virginia mention off-shift, weekend or on-call coverage. Highest in aerospace & defense (50%), lowest in industrial (17%).
- Aerospace & defense50% of 36 postingsTop
- Industrial17% of 102 postings
Based on 197 postings. Link to this finding
Physical demands
16% of plant postings in Virginia state a lifting requirement. Highest in industrial (12%), lowest in aerospace & defense (0%).
- Industrial12% of 102 postingsTop
- Aerospace & defense0% of 36 postings
Based on 197 postings. Link to this finding
2 more findings for Virginia
- Clearance and export-control roles
- How much travel
See all 8 findings, with the numbers behind them
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Source and method
- Source
- ShopFloorJobs analysis of 197 live plant job postings from 71 manufacturers' own careers sites (Workday, SuccessFactors, Oracle, iCIMS, Greenhouse and others), not job boards.
- Collected
- Week of October 19, 2026. Postings are re-checked daily; closed roles drop out.
- Method
- Pay is the middle of each posting's listed range for engineer and senior engineer levels, compared within the same team so a different mix of teams can't create a gap. Rates count postings that state the item. Correlation, not cause; findings with too few postings are left out.
Cite this report
ShopFloorJobs, "What Virginia plant jobs ask for, and what moves pay," Week of October 19, 2026. https://shopfloorjobs.com/reports/insights?state=virginia
Free to quote and share with a link to this page.