The Richmond-Petersburg Metroplex of Virginia is home to approximately 1,100,000 people. The median household income annually in this Metroplex is over $52,000 and median family yearly income is over $65,000. The three top local Industry Clusters in the area are Management, Sales, and Service occupations. In addition, the City of Richmond has been the Number One city in the US for expansion of incoming European business in the 2000's.

Education, Health Services, and Government Occupations are steadily the fastest-growing Industries in the Metroplex through the year 2014. The tobacco industry continues to provide job openings as well in an agriculture/manufacturing type of business sector. Logistics makes up another category of healthy industry, based on the number and size fo business in the Greater Richmond Area as well as the ample transporation and shipping means available. In fact, this Metroplex is considered the Gateway Region of Virgina, offering these 10 major transport companies: United Parcel Service (UPS), Wal-Mart Associates, Food Lion, Standard Motor Products, Grayson Mitchell, DSC Logistics, Inc., Abilene Motor Express, R & L Carriers Shared Services American Freightways, and Genuine Parts Company

The Largest Non-Government Employers in the Richmond-Petersburg Metroplex are in the following list of financial, health, and sales establishments:

• Capital One Financial Corp
• HCA Inc
• Virginia Commonwealth University Health
• Wal-Mart Stores - Retail Sales
• Wachovia Corp. - Finanical Products.
• Bon Secours Richmond Health

In addition to his list. Rolls Royce operates a large aerospace engine manufacturing concern in Prince Goerge County in the Metroplex.

The Virginia Biotechnology Research Park and the Medical College of Virginia have produced a surge in medical science and bioscience products and jobs as well.

The Research Park covers over 34 acres in Downtown Richmond and additional branches in surrounding counties. Not surprisingly, Virgina is the 5th largest employer of tech workers in the United States.

The Top 10 Jobs that provide the greatest numbers of openings through 2014 include the following occupational titles and theri approximate average annual earnings:

1. Customer Service Representatives $27,000
2. Registered Nurses $48,000
3. Sales Representatives, Wholesale & Mfg. $48,000
4. General & Operations Managers $85,000
5. Management Analysts $76,000
6. Elementary School Teachers, Mainstream $44,000
7. Computer Software Engineers, Applications $68,000
8. Computer Systems Analysts $68,000
9. Secondary School Teachers, Mainstream $46,000
10. Bookkeeping, Accounting, & Auditing Clerks $Hi -30s

Over 1,000 technology companies operate from this Greater Richmond Area and they employ workers in many of these Top 10 Jobs. This employment includes the all categories except teaching positions, although some teachers may be involved in training programs within these technology firms or in schools that have p[artnerships with these companeis for training services.

The average (mean) annual wages of the half million workers in the Richmond-Pertersburg combined area is over $40,000. At the same time, the median household income is approximately $50,000 annually.

Medical/Heath

• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine

• Bon Secours Memorial School Of Nursing

• St Marys Hospital School Of Radiologic Sciences

 Other

• Virginia Commonwealth University

• J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College

• Virginia Union University

• University of Richmond

• Bryant and Stratton College

• Centura College Westend

• Virginia College in Richmond

• Virginia State University 

Tech/Vocation

• ECPI Technical College: 800 Moorefield Park Drive - Richmond, VA 23236

• Beta Tech

• Braxton School

• Industrial Training Company

• Insurance Seminars

• Moseley-flint School Of Real Estate

• Salem College Cummunity Music School: 210 N Mooreland Rd, Richmond, VA‎ - (336) 721-2600

Barber/Beauty

• Richmond Barber School

• Janards Beauty School

• Johnsons Beauty Academy

• Twin Image Beauty Academy 

Theology

• Baptist Theological Seminary At Richmond

• Richmond Virginia Seminary

• Union Theological Seminary And Presbyterian School

• Virginia Institute Of Pastoral Care

College Sports

• Richmond Spiders

League Sports

• Richmond Braves (IL)

• Richmond Kickers (USL)

• Richmond Renegades (ECHL)

• Richmond Roosters (FBL)

OTHER

• SunTrust Richmond Marathon

• 3Sports - Endurance sports: Running, Swimming & Cycling.

• Golf Courses in Richmond

• Richmond Baseball Academy

• VCU - Recreational Sports

• Petersburg Sports - Petersburg Generals Babseball, East Coast Bowl: National Football Foundation

• Petersburg Sports Complex

The Virginia BioTechnology Research Park is a functioning partnership among VCU, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the City of Richmond.

The research part is a business complex located on 34 acres next to the VCU Medical Center Campus in Downtown Richmond, Virginia. It provides working space for up to a total of 3,000 researchers, scientists and engineers in nearly 2,000,000 square feet of offices, lab space, and meeting areas. Is incorporates satellite branches in two additional counties in Virginia as well.

The state's first technology business incubator is located inside this enormous research park. The business incubator offers 27,000 square feet of labs, offices, meeting venues, and support services space in order to help new business get off the ground and running in the Greater Richmond Area. The successful incubator has brought multiple dozens of new technology companies to the Richmond-Petersburg Metroplex and to the Commonwealth of Virginia. .

The research park serves state and national medical facilities, including laboratories, and participates in research and development in the fields of forensics, biotoxins and methods of testing them, and best practices for management of the processes in organ transplants for America nationwide.

The research park and business incubator is a source of increasing numbers and types of jobs in the Greater Richmond Area, which may be found at the links below, along with company information.

Virginia BioTechnology Research Park

Virginia Biosciences Development Center - Business Incubator.

Two Native American Reservations are connected with the Greater Richmond Area. These are the reservations of two nations, the Mattaponi and the Pamunkey.

Both of these reservations support themselves through tribal businesses.

The Pamunkey operate a museum, a fishery, and a pottery works, among others, while the Mattaponi have a fish hatchery and an attached Marine and Science Center.

An annual Pow Wow is held each June just northeast of Richmond in King WIlliam County.