Virginia is the nation's #1 state for shipbuilding employment, home to the world's largest naval base and the only shipyard in the country that designs, builds, and refuels nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
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Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard anchor Virginia's maritime identity alongside a deep base of ship repair firms, defense contractors, and a fast-growing offshore wind sector across Hampton Roads.
Newport News Shipbuilding is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers for the U.S. Navy and one of only two shipyards capable of building nuclear-powered submarines. Founded in 1886, HII has delivered more than 800 ships and remains the largest industrial employer in Virginia.
🌐 ~26,000 VA employees
One of the oldest and largest naval shipyards in the United States, providing maintenance, repair, and modernization for U.S. Navy surface ships and submarines in Portsmouth. A cornerstone of the Hampton Roads defense industrial base.
🌐 ~9,000 federal civilian employees
Electric Boat partners with Newport News Shipbuilding on the Virginia-class attack submarine program — one of the most sophisticated defense manufacturing efforts in American history. Their joint work supports thousands of jobs across the Hampton Roads supply chain.
🌐 ~6,000 U.S. program employees
Virginia ranks first among all U.S. states in shipbuilding jobs — far above any other state. That concentration of shipyard work means long-term employment stability and a career ecosystem with few equals anywhere in the country.
Newport News Shipbuilding is the sole designer, builder, and refueler of U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines — making it the most consequential shipbuilding facility in the world.
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council projects that 40,000 skilled workers will be needed over the next six years to support the region's maritime and offshore wind industries, creating one of the most urgent and well-funded hiring environments in American manufacturing.
Hampton Roads is currently short roughly 10,000 workers in shipbuilding and ship repair, which means technicians entering the field today have exceptional leverage. Starting wages for welders and electricians are competitive nationally in a region with a cost of living well below the coastal average.
Fabricate and join steel components for aircraft carriers, submarines, and surface ships at Virginia's major shipyards. Welding is the single most in-demand trade in Hampton Roads maritime with strong wages and a clear path to advancement.
Install, test, and maintain complex electrical and power distribution systems aboard U.S. Navy vessels at Newport News and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Electricians are among the highest-compensated trades technicians in Virginia's maritime sector.
Design, install, and maintain fluid and gas piping systems aboard nuclear-powered ships. Pipefitters work across both new construction and maintenance and overhaul making this a career with consistent long-term demand.
Whether you are building Ford-class aircraft carriers at Newport News, repairing Navy ships at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, or supporting the growing network of defense and offshore wind contractors across Hampton Roads, careers here are built on a foundation that will not move.
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