Richmond, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Richmond, VA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,080 a year ($17.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,160 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $51,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,520 and $44,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,656 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Richmond, VA at a glance

Median salary

$37,080$17.83 per hour · $3,090 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,520$14.19/hr
25th percentile$31,190$15.00/hr
75th percentile$38,890$18.70/hr
90th percentile$44,690$21.49/hr
Jobs in this metro6,160Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $51,460
Against Virginia1% aboveStatewide median $36,750
Against the U.S.1% belowNational median $37,390

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.

Restaurant cook salary in Richmond, VA after taxes

$37,080
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,080
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,656After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,555Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,179Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,270 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,318 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,837 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Richmond, VA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Richmond, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$14.19/hr$2,460$29,520$25,016
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,599$31,190$26,262
MedianMedian$17.83/hr$3,090$37,080$30,656
75th percentile$18.70/hr$3,241$38,890$32,006
90th percentile$21.49/hr$3,724$44,690$36,333

Is $37,080 a good salary in Richmond, 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$86,679Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.92.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.8%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 Richmond, VA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Richmond, VA metro area was $37,080 in May 2025, about $3,090 a month or $17.83 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 Richmond, VA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Richmond, VA was $17.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.19 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.49.

How many restaurant cooks work in Richmond, VA?

BLS estimated 6,160 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.03 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Richmond, VA run from $29,520 at the 10th percentile to $31,190 at the 25th, $38,890 at the 75th, and $44,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $37,080, an estimated $30,656 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,179 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,424 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

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

On the median annual salary of $37,080, gross monthly income is $3,090. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,555 per month (or $1,179 every two weeks).

Is $37,080 a good salary in Richmond, VA?

At $37,080, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 42.8% of the Richmond, VA median household income ($86,679). It is 28% below the $51,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.9, so prices here run 2.1% below the U.S. average.