Food Preparation Workers Salary in Virginia
At $34,900 a year, the median for food preparation workers in Virginia is close to the national median of $35,320 (−1%); Virginia ranks 24th of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in Virginia ($55,690). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Maryland pay more (up to $39,600 in District of Columbia) and North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky pay less (down to $26,850 in Kentucky). Virginia employs 16,340 food preparation workers, 3.98 per 1,000 jobs, the 19th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.69 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 | $13.68 | $14.88 | $16.78 | $17.94 | $20.42 | $16.80 | 16,340 | 3.98 | 0.69 |
| Annual | $28,460 | $30,940 | $34,900 | $37,310 | $42,480 | $34,930 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $12.41 | $14.40 | $16.98 | $18.53 | $21.80 | $16.96 | 893,600 | – | – |
| Annual | $25,810 | $29,950 | $35,320 | $38,550 | $45,340 | $35,290 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 24th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 19th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.98
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 food preparation 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 | $18.09 | $37,630 | $31,340 | $45,010 | 14,810 | 4.72 | 0.82 |
| Charlottesville, VA | $16.45 | $34,210 | $28,490 | $43,360 | 400 | 3.47 | 0.60 |
| Richmond, VA | $16.18 | $33,650 | $29,210 | $38,390 | 2,890 | 4.38 | 0.76 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $15.66 | $32,580 | $28,630 | $38,430 | 3,120 | 4.09 | 0.71 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $15.48 | $32,210 | $28,820 | $43,930 | 180 | 3.39 | 0.59 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | $15.46 | $32,150 | $27,980 | $38,340 | 240 | 3.73 | 0.65 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | $15.20 | $31,620 | $28,240 | $41,770 | 230 | 3.44 | 0.60 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $15.00 | $31,200 | $27,360 | $36,240 | 320 | 4.39 | 0.76 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $14.81 | $30,800 | $27,530 | $35,900 | 490 | 5.03 | 0.88 |
| Roanoke, VA | $14.80 | $30,790 | $27,340 | $36,050 | 640 | 4.18 | 0.73 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $13.47 | $28,020 | $23,330 | $36,040 | 930 | 7.77 | 1.35 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $15.28 | $31,790 | $28,020 | $38,650 | 240 | 3.67 | 0.64 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $15.13 | $31,470 | $27,390 | $35,340 | 200 | 3.48 | 0.61 |
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.92 | $31,040 | $28,150 | $37,270 | 310 | 3.03 | 0.53 |
| Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $14.84 | $30,870 | $28,020 | $36,730 | 480 | 4.14 | 0.72 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $16.78 | $34,900 | 16,340 | 0.69 |
| District of Columbia | $19.04 | $39,600 | 3,970 | 0.98 |
| Kentucky | $12.91 | $26,850 | 15,390 | 1.34 |
| Maryland | $17.07 | $35,500 | 13,280 | 0.84 |
| North Carolina | $14.55 | $30,260 | 24,960 | 0.88 |
| Tennessee | $13.80 | $28,700 | 19,780 | 1.05 |
| West Virginia | $13.63 | $28,360 | 2,960 | 0.73 |
See the national page for Food Preparation 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.