Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Roanoke, VA

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Roanoke, VA

Median annual salary $33,670 -8.6% vs national
Median hourly $16.19
10th percentile $26,900
90th percentile $40,110
Employed locally 1,630
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Roanoke, VA stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Roanoke, VA
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $26,900
    25th
    $27,970
    50th (median)
    $33,670
    75th
    $36,300
    90th
    $40,110

    Roanoke economic context

    Unemployment rate 2.90% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $67,447 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 50% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 50% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Restaurant

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,320
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $46,970
    Portland-South Portland, ME $46,960
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $46,960
    Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area $46,500
    Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $46,340

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Restaurant salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $46,960
    Vallejo, CA $43,820
    North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $42,140
    Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $42,050
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $39,260
    Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $37,710

    Related occupations in Roanoke, VA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$26,990
    Waiters and Waitresses$34,940
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$37,130
    Cooks, Fast Food$27,770
    Bartenders$48,260
    Food Preparation Workers$29,240

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Roanoke?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Roanoke, VA is $16.19, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.58 or more per hour.

    Is Roanoke above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Roanoke, VA is 8.6% below the national median of $36,830. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Restaurant in Roanoke?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $26,900 per year in Roanoke, VA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $27,970.