Charlottesville, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Charlottesville, VA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,960 a year ($17.77 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,370 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $55,180 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,930 and $45,460; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,566 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Charlottesville, VA at a glance

Median salary

$36,960$17.77 per hour · $3,080 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,930$14.39/hr
25th percentile$33,690$16.20/hr
75th percentile$39,220$18.86/hr
90th percentile$45,460$21.86/hr
Jobs in this metro1,370Location quotient 1.32 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $55,180
Against Virginia1% aboveStatewide median $36,750
Against the U.S.1% 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 Charlottesville, VA after taxes

$36,960
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,960
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,566After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,547Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,176Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,255 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,311 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,827 / yr

Restaurant cooks 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 restaurant cooks earned in the Charlottesville, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$14.39/hr$2,494$29,930$25,322
25th percentile$16.20/hr$2,808$33,690$28,127
MedianMedian$17.77/hr$3,080$36,960$30,566
75th percentile$18.86/hr$3,268$39,220$32,252
90th percentile$21.86/hr$3,788$45,460$36,907

Is $36,960 a good salary in Charlottesville, 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$93,598Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.10.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household39.5%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 Charlottesville, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Charlottesville, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Charlottesville, VA metro area was $36,960 in May 2025, about $3,080 a month or $17.77 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $36,750, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Charlottesville, VA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Charlottesville, VA was $17.77 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.39 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.86.

How many restaurant cooks work in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS estimated 1,370 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 12.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.32 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Charlottesville, VA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Charlottesville, VA run from $29,930 at the 10th percentile to $33,690 at the 25th, $39,220 at the 75th, and $45,460 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Charlottesville, VA?

On a median gross salary of $36,960, an estimated $30,566 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,176 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,394 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Charlottesville, VA?

On the median annual salary of $36,960, gross monthly income is $3,080. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,547 per month (or $1,176 every two weeks).

Is $36,960 a good salary in Charlottesville, VA?

At $36,960, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 39.5% of the Charlottesville, VA median household income ($93,598). It is 33% 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.