Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
West Virginia employs 60,710 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 West Virginia, based on median salary data.
Complete breakdown of all occupations in the Food Preparation & Serving industry in West 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 | $61,100 | $64,600 | 350 | $29/hr |
| 2 | Waiters and Waitresses | $35,380 | $38,350 | 8,600 | $17/hr |
| 3 | First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $33,070 | $35,830 | 6,390 | $15/hr |
| 4 | Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $30,170 | $30,410 | 460 | $14/hr |
| 5 | Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $29,740 | $31,470 | 4,420 | $14/hr |
| 6 | Bartenders | $29,630 | $37,910 | 3,340 | $14/hr |
| 7 | Cooks, Restaurant | $29,590 | $30,950 | 6,450 | $14/hr |
| 8 | Food Preparation Workers | $28,360 | $28,450 | 2,960 | $13/hr |
| 9 | Cooks, Short Order | $27,440 | $28,120 | 620 | $13/hr |
| 10 | Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $27,150 | $29,920 | 1,170 | $13/hr |
| 11 | Dishwashers | $26,460 | $26,500 | 1,640 | $12/hr |
| 12 | Fast Food and Counter Workers | $26,070 | $26,780 | 6,240 | $12/hr |
| 13 | Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $24,420 | $25,510 | 1,580 | $11/hr |
| 14 | Cooks, Fast Food | $23,120 | $24,720 | 16,490 | $11/hr |
Explore salary data and job opportunities in other industries across West Virginia:
West Virginia has 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations with 60,710 total employed workers (2025 BLS data).
The highest-paying Food Preparation & Serving occupation in West Virginia is Chefs and Head Cooks with a median salary of $61,100/year.
The average median salary across 14 Food Preparation & Serving occupations in West Virginia is $30,836/year.
Salaries in Food Preparation & Serving in West Virginia range from $18,750 (entry-level) to $88,690 (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 West Virginia. Percentile ranges (P10–P90) reflect the lowest and highest earning 10% of workers. Our Methodology · Data Sources