F-1 OPT · Virginia
F-1 OPT take-home pay in Virginia (2026)
Pick a salary to see the full breakdown — federal income tax, FICA, Virginia state income tax, and your annual / monthly / bi-weekly net.
| Gross salary | Take-home | Monthly | Effective rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $60,000 | $48,638 | $4,053 | 18.9% | Details → |
| $80,000 | $63,088 | $5,257 | 21.1% | Details → |
| $100,000 | $77,538 | $6,462 | 22.5% | Details → |
| $120,000 | $91,702 | $7,642 | 23.6% | Details → |
| $150,000 | $112,777 | $9,398 | 24.8% | Details → |
| $180,000 | $133,852 | $11,154 | 25.6% | Details → |
| $220,000 | $160,494 | $13,375 | 27.0% | Details → |
| $280,000 | $197,131 | $16,428 | 29.6% | Details → |
| $350,000 | $238,606 | $19,884 | 31.8% | Details → |
| $500,000 | $327,481 | $27,290 | 34.5% | Details → |
How Virginia state income tax works for F-1 OPT holders
Virginia charges a single flat rate of 5.75% on taxable income. Unlike the federal system, there are no brackets — every dollar of taxable income is taxed at the same rate. This makes the state tax math simple: $F-1 OPT take-home in Virginia is dominated by federal tax + FICA, with the flat state component layered on top.
What's different for F-1 OPT holders in Virginia?
State income tax generally does not distinguish between visa categories — it only looks at where you live and where you work, not your immigration status. A few practical notes for F-1 OPT holders specifically:
- Residency. Most states deem you a tax resident if you are domiciled in the state or spend more than 183 days there during the calendar year, regardless of visa type.
- FICA exemption (federal) ≠ state-tax exemption. Even though you are FICA-exempt at the federal level for 5 years, Virginia still taxes your wages on its own rules.
- Standard deduction. Many states tie their standard deduction to federal rules — if you can't claim the federal standard deduction as a NRA, you may also be limited at the state level.
Source: www.tax.virginia.gov/