Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Virginia Beach
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,210 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,280 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Virginia Beach earn between $30,350 and $37,890.
- $29K10th
- $30K25th
- $36KMedian
- $38K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,530 | $3,044 | $17.56 |
| Median | $36,280 | $3,023 | $17.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $30,350 | $2,529 | $14.59 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,890 | $3,158 | $18.22 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Virginia Beach vs. Virginia and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Virginia Beach earn 4% less than the Virginia average ($38,180) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $36,530 | $36,280 | $29,210 | $44,280 | 8,380 |
| Virginia | $38,180 | $36,750 | $29,340 | $45,740 | 40,310 |
| United States | $38,730 | $37,390 | $28,700 | $47,900 | 1,409,890 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Virginia Beach
On the average salary of $36,530, a single filer in Virginia Beach takes home about $30,245 a year, or $2,520 a month and $1,163 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in NC | $30,583 | $2,549 |
| Working in VA | $30,245 | $2,520 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Virginia Beach a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Virginia Beach area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.9), so the average $36,530 buys what about $37,298 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Virginia Beach ($49,430). A typical home costs $373,678, or 10.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Virginia cities
Virginia Beach ranks 3rd of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Charlottesville pays the most ($37,910).
- Charlottesville$37,910
- Richmond$37,100
- Virginia Beach$36,530
- Staunton$35,900
- Harrisonburg$35,600
- Winchester$35,420
- Blacksburg$34,840
- Lynchburg$34,780
- Roanoke$34,370
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in Virginia Beach: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Virginia Beach?
$17.56 an hour on average, and $17.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Virginia Beach?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,210 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,350, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Virginia Beach?
About $30,245 a year ($2,520 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,530.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2014; area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC (47260). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.21, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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