Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Virginia

As of May 2025, the median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in Virginia was $36,750 -1.7% vs national

Virginia vs United States

VirginiaUnited States
Median annual$36,750$37,390
Median hourly$17.67$17.98
Employment40,3101,409,890
Location quotient1.081.00

Data source: BLS OES state file (Virginia) · U.S. BLS OES survey, May 2025

A closer look

The median wage in Virginia is 1.7% below the national median — a difference of about $640 per year for a typical worker.

Pay spans a wide range: workers at the 10th percentile earn about $29,340, while those at the 90th percentile earn about $45,740 — a 1.6x gap between entry-level and top earners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average cooks, restaurant salary in Virginia?

The median annual wage in Virginia is $36,750 ($17.67 per hour), per BLS OES May 2025 data.

How does Virginia compare to the national average for cooks, restaurant?

The Virginia median of $36,750 is 1.7% lower than the U.S. median of $37,390.

How many cooks, restaurant work in Virginia?

Approximately 40,310 are employed in Virginia, per BLS OES.