Cooks, Restaurant Salary in West Virginia
In West Virginia, cooks, restaurant earn a median $29,590 a year, well below the national median of $37,390 (−21%); the state ranks 49th of 51 states by median. That is 35% less than the median across all occupations in West Virginia ($45,300). Every neighbouring state pays more: Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky range from $34,640 in Kentucky to $37,820 in Maryland. West Virginia employs 6,450 cooks, restaurant, 9.20 per 1,000 jobs, the 43rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.01 is close to the national share.
West Virginia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $10.66 | $12.88 | $14.23 | $16.91 | $18.27 | $14.88 | 6,450 | 9.20 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $22,180 | $26,790 | $29,590 | $35,170 | $38,010 | $30,950 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 49th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 43rd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.01
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.20
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of West 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 West Virginia
10 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching West Virginia publish a row for cooks, restaurant, 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 | $20.64 | $42,920 | $35,310 | $49,650 | 29,670 | 9.46 | 1.04 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $17.02 | $35,390 | $28,920 | $42,850 | 660 | 9.80 | 1.08 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $16.51 | $34,330 | $28,180 | $43,200 | 800 | 7.50 | 0.83 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $14.44 | $30,030 | $23,570 | $37,100 | 320 | 8.83 | 0.97 |
| Morgantown, WV | $14.30 | $29,740 | $22,310 | $36,450 | 760 | 11.25 | 1.24 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $14.28 | $29,710 | $22,860 | $37,030 | 580 | 9.93 | 1.10 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $14.28 | $29,700 | $21,750 | $36,250 | 410 | 11.27 | 1.24 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $14.21 | $29,550 | $22,490 | $37,940 | 1,090 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| Charleston, WV | $14.16 | $29,450 | $22,530 | $36,940 | 770 | 7.45 | 0.82 |
| Beckley, WV | $13.83 | $28,770 | $21,910 | $36,760 | 420 | 9.65 | 1.06 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.10 | $29,320 | $21,830 | $38,010 | 1,340 | 9.18 | 1.01 |
| Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.05 | $29,220 | $21,960 | $37,330 | 770 | 10.07 | 1.11 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | $14.23 | $29,590 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
| Kentucky | $16.65 | $34,640 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Maryland | $18.19 | $37,820 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| Ohio | $17.09 | $35,540 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.59 | $36,580 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| Virginia | $17.67 | $36,750 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the West 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 West Virginia estimates.
- 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.