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

How much does a restaurant cook make in Blacksburg, VA?

In the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,050 a year ($16.85 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 720 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $48,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,560 and $43,480; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,141 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Blacksburg, VA at a glance

Median salary

$35,050$16.85 per hour · $2,921 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,560$13.73/hr
25th percentile$29,290$14.08/hr
75th percentile$36,850$17.72/hr
90th percentile$43,480$20.90/hr
Jobs in this metro720Location quotient 1.07 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $48,120
Against Virginia5% belowStatewide median $36,750
Against the U.S.6% belowNational median $37,390

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

Restaurant cook salary in Blacksburg, VA after taxes

$35,050
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,050
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,141After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,428Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,121Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,026 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,201 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,681 / yr

Restaurant cooks 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 restaurant cooks earned in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.73/hr$2,380$28,560$24,300
25th percentile$14.08/hr$2,441$29,290$24,844
MedianMedian$16.85/hr$2,921$35,050$29,141
75th percentile$17.72/hr$3,071$36,850$30,484
90th percentile$20.90/hr$3,623$43,480$35,430

Is $35,050 a good salary in Blacksburg, VA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks 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 household53.2%of area median income

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

Do restaurant cooks pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Restaurant cook pay in Blacksburg, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area was $35,050 in May 2025, about $2,921 a month or $16.85 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $36,750, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA was $16.85 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.90.

How many restaurant cooks work in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS estimated 720 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.07 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA run from $28,560 at the 10th percentile to $29,290 at the 25th, $36,850 at the 75th, and $43,480 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On a median gross salary of $35,050, an estimated $29,141 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,121 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,909 (an effective rate of 16.9%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

On the median annual salary of $35,050, gross monthly income is $2,921. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,428 per month (or $1,121 every two weeks).

Is $35,050 a good salary in Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA?

At $35,050, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 53.2% of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA median household income ($65,839). It is 27% 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.