Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Virginia Beach, VA-NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC

Median annual salary $27,150 -10% vs national
Median hourly $13.05
10th percentile $26,130
90th percentile $29,730
Employed locally 6,300
National median $30,160

Compare Cooks, Fast Food salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Virginia Beach, VA-NC stacks up on salary and cost of living.

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Cooks, Fast Food
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $26,130
    25th
    $26,690
    50th (median)
    $27,150
    75th
    $28,070
    90th
    $29,730

    Virginia Beach economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.10% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $80,533 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Fast Food salary vs area income 34% Median Cooks, Fast Food salary is 66% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Fast Food

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $41,980
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $41,800
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $40,580
    Hawaii $40,300
    Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $39,260
    Napa, CA $39,210

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Fast Food salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $41,800
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $40,580
    Vallejo, CA $39,110
    North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $36,190
    Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $35,360
    Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $34,040

    Related occupations in Virginia Beach, VA-NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,960
    Waiters and Waitresses$36,910
    Cooks, Restaurant$35,530
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,290
    Food Preparation Workers$31,150
    Bartenders$45,220

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Fast Food make per hour in Virginia Beach?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Fast Food in Virginia Beach, VA-NC is $13.05, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $16.00 or more per hour.

    Is Virginia Beach above or below average for Cooks, Fast Food salaries?

    The median Cooks, Fast Food salary in Virginia Beach, VA-NC is 10% below the national median of $30,160. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Fast Food in Virginia Beach?

    Entry-level Cooks, Fast Food (10th percentile) earn around $26,130 per year in Virginia Beach, VA-NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $26,690.