Cooks, Restaurant pay in Virginia
$38,180avg. a year
$18.36 an hour · 40,310 employed
Cooks, Restaurant in Virginia earn an average of $38,180 a year. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $38,730. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $42,590.
$36,750Median pay
$18.36Average hourly
+35%Avg. pay since 2020
#25Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Virginia metro areas
Average pay for cooks, restaurant by metro area. Swipe to see all 11.
129,670 jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$42,590
$20.48 an hour
21,370 jobs
Charlottesville, VA
$37,910
$18.22 an hour
36,160 jobs
Richmond, VA
$37,100
$17.84 an hour
48,380 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$36,530
$17.56 an hour
5500 jobs
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
$35,900
$17.26 an hour
6740 jobs
Harrisonburg, VA
$35,600
$17.12 an hour
7660 jobs
Winchester, VA-WV
$35,420
$17.03 an hour
8720 jobs
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
$34,840
$16.75 an hour
91,000 jobs
Lynchburg, VA
$34,780
$16.72 an hour
101,560 jobs
Roanoke, VA
$34,370
$16.52 an hour
111,020 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$33,800
$16.25 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Virginia, charted
Pay over time
Virginia, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Virginia cooks, restaurant work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Virginia highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $35k$35k–$38k$38k–$42k$42k+Virginia
Virginia vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,730 | $18.62 |
| Virginia | $38,180 | $18.36 |
| District of Columbia | $45,570 | $21.91 |
| Maryland | $40,120 | $19.29 |
| Tennessee | $36,530 | $17.56 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 | $16.90 |
| Kentucky | $33,700 | $16.20 |
Related jobs in Virginia
Average pay, Virginia, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, restaurant make in Virginia?
The average is $38,180 a year, and the median is $36,750. That is about the same as the U.S. average of $38,730.
What is the hourly wage in Virginia?
$18.36 an hour on average; the median is $17.67.
Where in Virginia do they earn the most?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($42,590), followed by Charlottesville, VA ($37,910). The lowest average among 11 metro areas with data is Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA ($33,800).
How does Virginia rank?
Virginia ranks #25 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2014. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, restaurant page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.