Virginia Beach does not impose a hotel-specific living wage, and Virginia state law preempts cities from setting industry minimum wages above the statewide floor of $12.41 per hour rising to $13.50 in January 2026.
Hotel housekeepers, servers, and front-desk workers along Atlantic Avenue and at Convention Center properties are paid the Virginia state minimum wage under Va. Code Section 40.1-28.10, which scheduled annual increases through 2026. The city is barred from layering a higher hotel-only floor by Dillon's Rule and by the state minimum wage statute itself. Tipped workers may be paid the federal tip credit subject to state law. Some Resort Area hotels voluntarily participate in workforce programs through Visit Virginia Beach, but no contractual living wage applies. Federal contractors at NAS Oceana follow Executive Order 14026 floors instead.
Wage complaints go to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry; back wages, liquidated damages, and civil penalties under state statute apply for violations.
See how Virginia Beach's hotel living wage rules stack up against other locations.
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