Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
Virginia employs 337,870 Food Preparation & Serving professionals across 14 occupations. Explore salary ranges, top paying jobs, and career opportunities within the Food Preparation & Serving industry.
The best-compensated occupations within Food Preparation & Serving in Virginia, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in Virginia, sorted by median salary (highest to lowest). Click any job title for state-specific salary details.
| # | Job Title | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chefs and Head Cooks | $63,270 | $65,320 | 3,600 | $30/hr |
| 2 | Bartenders | $47,070 | $54,200 | 13,370 | $22/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $45,550 | $46,810 | 30,640 | $21/hr |
| 4 | Waiters and Waitresses | $44,760 | $46,680 | 59,370 | $21/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,890 | $39,500 | 11,170 | $18/hr |
| 6 | Cooks, Restaurant | $36,750 | $38,180 | 40,310 | $17/hr |
| 7 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,090 | $35,590 | 7,420 | $16/hr |
| 8 | Food Preparation Workers | $34,900 | $34,930 | 16,340 | $16/hr |
| 9 | Dishwashers | $33,130 | $33,470 | 12,520 | $15/hr |
| 10 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $32,410 | $34,850 | 11,910 | $15/hr |
| 11 | Cooks, Short Order | $31,200 | $32,600 | 3,350 | $15/hr |
| 12 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $30,490 | $33,240 | 10,890 | $14/hr |
| 13 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $30,110 | $31,930 | 104,460 | $14/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $29,950 | $31,980 | 12,520 | $14/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across Virginia:
Virginia has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 337,870 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in Virginia is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $63,270/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in Virginia is $38,041/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in Virginia range from $25,810 (entry-level) to $90,470 (senior) across all occupations.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes organize jobs into groups. Food Preparation & Serving occupations use SOC prefix 35. Data comes from BLS OEWS.
Data: BLS OEWS 2025. Salary figures represent May 2025 compensation for occupations classified under SOC code 35* in Virginia. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources