Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Virginia Beach, VA-NC

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

Median annual salary $35,530 -3.5% vs national
Median hourly $17.08
10th percentile $27,680
90th percentile $44,560
Employed locally 8,510
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant 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, Restaurant
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Virginia Beach, VA-NC
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $27,680
    25th
    $29,650
    50th (median)
    $35,530
    75th
    $37,210
    90th
    $44,560

    Virginia Beach economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.10% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $80,533 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 44% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 56% 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 Virginia Beach, VA-NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $27,960
    Waiters and Waitresses $36,910
    Cooks, Fast Food $27,150
    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, Restaurant make per hour in Virginia Beach?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Virginia Beach, VA-NC is $17.08, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.29 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Virginia Beach, VA-NC is 3.5% 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 Virginia Beach?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $27,680 per year in Virginia Beach, VA-NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,650.