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Charlottesville, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Charlottesville, VA metropolitan area, food preparation workers earned a median of $34,210 a year ($16.45 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 400 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,490 and $43,360; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,515 in take-home pay.

Food preparation worker pay in Charlottesville, VA at a glance

Median salary

$34,210$16.45 per hour · $2,851 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,490$13.70/hr
25th percentile$31,190$15.00/hr
75th percentile$37,450$18.00/hr
90th percentile$43,360$20.84/hr
Jobs in this metro400Location quotient 0.60 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $55,180
Against Virginia2% belowStatewide median $34,900
Against the U.S.3% 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.

Take-home payWhat $34,000 a year leaves after tax in VirginiaFederal tax, FICA and Virginia withholding on that salary, with the other 49 states beside it.
By the hour$16 an hour is how much a yearWeekly, biweekly and monthly gross at 2,080 hours, plus time and a half.
HousingWhat a $34,000 salary buys at today's ratesPrice range, down payment and the monthly payment behind it, on current mortgage rates.
Local pricesWhat $34,000 is worth where you liveRent, groceries and the local price level against the national average.
Same stateEvery occupation Virginia publishes a wage forThe biggest employers, the best paid, and what is distinctive about Virginia.

Food preparation worker salary in Charlottesville, VA after taxes

$34,210
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,210
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,515After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,376Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,097Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,925 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,153 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,617 / yr
Customize deductions in full Virginia calculator

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

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

What food preparation workers earned in the Charlottesville, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.70/hr$2,374$28,490$24,247
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,599$31,190$26,262
MedianMedian$16.45/hr$2,851$34,210$28,515
75th percentile$18.00/hr$3,121$37,450$30,932
90th percentile$20.84/hr$3,613$43,360$35,341

Is $34,210 a good salary in Charlottesville, 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$93,598Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.10.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.5%of area median income

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

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Food preparation workers pay in other Virginia metros

Metros in the same state that are closest in size to Charlottesville, VA. A statewide average can hide differences this large.

Food preparation worker pay in Charlottesville, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for food preparation workers in Charlottesville, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for food preparation workers in the Charlottesville, VA metro area was $34,210 in May 2025, about $2,851 a month or $16.45 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $34,900, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for food preparation workers in Charlottesville, VA?

The median hourly wage for food preparation workers in Charlottesville, VA was $16.45 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.70 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.84.

How many food preparation workers work in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS estimated 400 jobs for food preparation workers in the metro in May 2025, or 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.60 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for food preparation workers in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS wage estimates for food preparation workers in Charlottesville, VA run from $28,490 at the 10th percentile to $31,190 at the 25th, $37,450 at the 75th, and $43,360 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do food preparation workers take home after taxes in Charlottesville, VA?

On a median gross salary of $34,210, an estimated $28,515 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,097 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,695 (an effective rate of 16.6%).

How much do food preparation workers make per month in Charlottesville, VA?

On the median annual salary of $34,210, gross monthly income is $2,851. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,376 per month (or $1,097 every two weeks).

Is $34,210 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

At $34,210, the median salary for food preparation workers is 36.5% of the Charlottesville, VA median household income ($93,598). It is 38% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.1, so prices here run 0.9% below the U.S. average.