Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Virginia
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Virginia have a median of $30,110 a year, below the national $31,200 (−3%); the state ranks 23rd 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 $37,430 in District of Columbia) and North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia pay less (down to $26,070 in West Virginia). Virginia employs 104,460 fast food and counter workers, 25.4 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.03 is close to the national share.
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 | $13.04 | $13.57 | $14.48 | $16.66 | $18.05 | $15.35 | 104,460 | 25.42 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $27,130 | $28,230 | $30,110 | $34,650 | $37,550 | $31,930 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.98 | $13.32 | $15.00 | $17.34 | $20.51 | $15.46 | 3,854,050 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,840 | $27,700 | $31,200 | $36,070 | $42,650 | $32,150 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 23rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.03
- Jobs per 1,000
- 25.42
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
11 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Virginia publish a row for fast food and counter workers, 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 | $16.64 | $34,600 | $30,460 | $42,490 | 60,560 | 19.31 | 0.78 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $14.50 | $30,150 | $27,610 | $37,880 | 2,800 | 24.41 | 0.98 |
| Richmond, VA | $14.19 | $29,500 | $27,600 | $35,980 | 17,100 | 25.90 | 1.04 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $14.09 | $29,310 | $27,100 | $35,530 | 1,470 | 28.48 | 1.15 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $14.06 | $29,240 | $26,980 | $35,260 | 2,590 | 39.57 | 1.60 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $13.84 | $28,780 | $27,420 | $35,360 | 22,520 | 29.51 | 1.19 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $13.63 | $28,360 | $26,490 | $35,330 | 1,700 | 25.06 | 1.01 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $13.61 | $28,300 | $26,660 | $35,820 | 2,230 | 30.11 | 1.21 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $13.57 | $28,220 | $26,530 | $34,810 | 3,280 | 33.76 | 1.36 |
| Roanoke, VA | $13.33 | $27,720 | $26,120 | $34,920 | 3,610 | 23.45 | 0.95 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $12.93 | $26,890 | $22,250 | $33,830 | 4,170 | 34.87 | 1.41 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $13.68 | $28,450 | $26,960 | $35,000 | 2,090 | 31.98 | 1.29 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $13.50 | $28,070 | $26,530 | $34,790 | 3,120 | 30.31 | 1.22 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $13.43 | $27,930 | $26,760 | $34,820 | 1,530 | 26.61 | 1.07 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $13.43 | $27,930 | $26,730 | $34,460 | 3,280 | 28.20 | 1.14 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $14.48 | $30,110 | 104,460 | 1.03 |
| District of Columbia | $18.00 | $37,430 | 5,500 | 0.32 |
| Kentucky | $13.04 | $27,130 | 41,860 | 0.84 |
| Maryland | $16.18 | $33,660 | 49,380 | 0.72 |
| North Carolina | $13.74 | $28,570 | 92,230 | 0.75 |
| Tennessee | $13.21 | $27,470 | 90,690 | 1.12 |
| West Virginia | $12.54 | $26,070 | 6,240 | 0.36 |
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (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.
- 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.