Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Virginia
Cooks, Fast Food in Virginia have a median of $29,950 a year, below the national $30,890 (−3%); the state ranks 28th of 51 states by median. That is 46% less than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Maryland pay more (up to $44,670 in District of Columbia) and Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky and West Virginia pay less (down to $23,120 in West Virginia). Virginia employs 12,520 cooks, fast food, 3.05 per 1,000 jobs, the 13th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.74 means it is less common in Virginia than nationally.
Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $13.18 | $13.62 | $14.40 | $16.62 | $18.14 | $15.38 | 12,520 | 3.05 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $27,400 | $28,330 | $29,950 | $34,570 | $37,730 | $31,980 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 28th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 13th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.05
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Virginia's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Virginia
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $17.21 | $35,800 | $31,200 | $47,000 | 10,580 | 3.37 | 0.82 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $16.33 | $33,970 | $29,140 | $40,950 | ** | ** | ** |
| Richmond, VA | $14.22 | $29,570 | $26,440 | $44,360 | 1,180 | 1.79 | 0.43 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $14.08 | $29,290 | $26,670 | $34,700 | 310 | 3.16 | 0.77 |
| Roanoke, VA | $14.02 | $29,160 | $27,570 | $36,340 | ** | ** | ** |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $13.79 | $28,680 | $27,510 | $35,040 | 190 | 2.88 | 0.70 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $13.67 | $28,430 | $23,330 | $35,150 | 260 | 3.91 | 0.95 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $13.64 | $28,380 | $27,370 | $33,280 | 5,030 | 6.59 | 1.60 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $12.95 | $26,930 | $20,120 | $39,400 | 720 | 6.03 | 1.46 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.06 | $29,240 | $27,710 | $37,360 | 200 | 3.06 | 0.74 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.05 | $29,220 | $27,350 | $33,610 | 500 | 4.27 | 1.04 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.03 | $29,190 | $26,360 | $42,850 | 160 | 2.79 | 0.68 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.02 | $29,170 | $27,540 | $35,410 | 290 | 2.82 | 0.68 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $14.40 | $29,950 | 12,520 | 0.74 |
| District of Columbia | $21.48 | $44,670 | 2,760 | 0.96 |
| Kentucky | $11.30 | $23,500 | 21,750 | 2.64 |
| Maryland | $16.02 | $33,320 | 10,960 | 0.96 |
| North Carolina | $13.07 | $27,190 | 81,980 | 4.02 |
| Tennessee | $13.62 | $28,330 | 14,020 | 1.04 |
| West Virginia | $11.12 | $23,120 | 16,490 | 5.70 |
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Virginia wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Virginia estimates.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.