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The corn earworm, <i>Helicoverpa zea</i> (Boddie), is a major pest targeted by pyramided <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> (Bt) corn and cotton in the U.S. Cry1Ab is one of the first insecticidal toxins used in Bt crops, while Vip3A is a relatively new toxin that has recently been incorporated into Cry corn with event MIR 162 and Cry cotton varieties to generate pyramided Bt traits targeting lepidopteran pests including <i>H. zea</i>. The objectives of this study were to determine the current status and distribution of the Cry1Ab resistance, and evaluate the susceptibility to Vip3Aa20 expressed in MIR 162 corn in <i>H. zea</i> in the southeastern U.S. During 2018 and 2019, 32 <i>H. zea</i> populations were collected from non-Bt corn (19 populations), Cry corn (12), and Cry/Vip3A cotton (1) across major corn areas in seven southeastern states of the U.S. Susceptibility of these populations to Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa20 was determined using diet-overlay bioassays. Compared to a known susceptible insect strain, 80% of the field populations were 13- to >150-fold resistant to Cry1Ab, while their response to Vip3Aa20 ranged from >11-fold more susceptible to 9-fold more tolerant. Mean susceptibility to each Bt toxin was not significantly different between the two groups of the populations collected from non-Bt and Bt crops, as well as between the two groups of the populations collected during 2018 and 2019. The results show that resistance to Cry1Ab in <i>H. zea</i> is widely distributed across the region. However, the Cry1Ab-resistant populations are not cross-resistant to Vip3Aa20, and <i>H. zea</i> in the region is still susceptible to the Vip3Aa20 toxin. Vip3Aa20 concentrations between 5 and 10 µg/cm² may be used as diagnostic concentrations for susceptibility monitoring in future. Additional studies are necessary to elucidate the impact of the selection with Bt corn on resistance evolution in <i>H. zea</i> to Vip3A cotton in the U.S.