Roanoke, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Roanoke, VA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $34,920 a year ($16.79 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,560 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,960 and $42,810; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,044 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Roanoke, VA at a glance

Median salary

$34,920$16.79 per hour · $2,910 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,960$13.44/hr
25th percentile$28,960$13.93/hr
75th percentile$36,580$17.59/hr
90th percentile$42,810$20.58/hr
Jobs in this metro1,560Location quotient 1.12 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $47,140
Against Virginia5% belowStatewide median $36,750
Against the U.S.7% 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 Roanoke, VA after taxes

$34,920
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,920
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,044After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,420Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,117Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,010 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,194 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,671 / yr

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

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Roanoke, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.44/hr$2,330$27,960$23,841
25th percentile$13.93/hr$2,413$28,960$24,598
MedianMedian$16.79/hr$2,910$34,920$29,044
75th percentile$17.59/hr$3,048$36,580$30,283
90th percentile$20.58/hr$3,568$42,810$34,930

Is $34,920 a good salary in Roanoke, 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$68,761Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.66.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.8%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 Roanoke, VA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Roanoke, VA metro area was $34,920 in May 2025, about $2,910 a month or $16.79 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 Roanoke, VA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Roanoke, VA was $16.79 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.44 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.58.

How many restaurant cooks work in Roanoke, VA?

BLS estimated 1,560 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.12 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Roanoke, VA run from $27,960 at the 10th percentile to $28,960 at the 25th, $36,580 at the 75th, and $42,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $34,920, an estimated $29,044 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,117 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,876 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

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

On the median annual salary of $34,920, gross monthly income is $2,910. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,420 per month (or $1,117 every two weeks).

Is $34,920 a good salary in Roanoke, VA?

At $34,920, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50.8% of the Roanoke, VA median household income ($68,761). It is 26% below the $47,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.6, so prices here run 6.4% below the U.S. average.