Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a food preparation worker make in Blacksburg, VA?

In the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $31,200 a year ($15.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 320 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $48,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,360 and $36,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,269 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Blacksburg, VA at a glance

Median salary

$31,200$15.00 per hour · $2,600 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,360$13.16/hr
25th percentile$28,800$13.85/hr
75th percentile$32,510$15.63/hr
90th percentile$36,240$17.42/hr
Jobs in this metro320Location quotient 0.76 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $48,120
Against Virginia11% belowStatewide median $34,900
Against the U.S.12% belowNational median $35,320

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Food preparation worker salary in Blacksburg, VA after taxes

$31,200
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,200
Net 84%
Fed 5%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,269After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,189Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,010Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,564 / yr
Virginia state income tax$980 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,387 / yr

Food preparation workers pay range in Blacksburg, VA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What food preparation workers earned in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.16/hr$2,280$27,360$23,382
25th percentile$13.85/hr$2,400$28,800$24,479
MedianMedian$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,269
75th percentile$15.63/hr$2,709$32,510$27,247
90th percentile$17.42/hr$3,020$36,240$30,029

Is $31,200 a good salary in Blacksburg, VA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for food preparation workers next to both.

Median household income$65,839Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.4%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Food preparation worker pay in Blacksburg, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area was $31,200 in May 2025, about $2,600 a month or $15.00 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $34,900, so the metro pays 11% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was $15.00 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.16 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.42.

How many food preparation workers work in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS estimated 320 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.76 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA run from $27,360 at the 10th percentile to $28,800 at the 25th, $32,510 at the 75th, and $36,240 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On a median gross salary of $31,200, an estimated $26,269 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,010 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,931 (an effective rate of 15.8%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On the median annual salary of $31,200, gross monthly income is $2,600. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,189 per month (or $1,010 every two weeks).

Is $31,200 a good salary in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

At $31,200, the median salary for food preparation workers is 47.4% of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA median household income ($65,839). It is 35% below the $48,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.