Chefs and Head Cooks pay range in Charlottesville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $80,600 or more. The middle half of chefs and head cooks in Charlottesville earn between $55,220 and $74,540.
- $40K10th
- $55K25th
- $62KMedian
- $75K75th
- $81K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $64,240 | $5,353 | $30.88 |
| Median | $61,990 | $5,166 | $29.80 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $55,220 | $4,602 | $26.55 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $74,540 | $6,212 | $35.84 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary after taxes in Charlottesville
On the average salary of $64,240, a single filer in Charlottesville takes home about $50,917 a year, or $4,243 a month and $1,958 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Charlottesville a good place for chefs and head cooks? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Charlottesville area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 99.1), so the average $64,240 buys what about $64,793 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Charlottesville ($55,180). A typical home costs $473,058, or 7.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary in other Virginia cities
Charlottesville ranks 2nd of 8 Virginia metro areas for this job; Richmond pays the most ($65,130).
- Richmond$65,130
- Charlottesville$64,240
- Harrisonburg$64,050
- Blacksburg$62,000
- Virginia Beach$61,000
- Roanoke$59,700
- Lynchburg$57,390
- Winchester$57,250
Highest-paying cities for chefs and head cooks
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,380).
- Kahului, HI$91,380
- Napa, CA$83,750
- San Jose, CA$80,150
- Albany, NY$79,500
- Providence, RI$79,440
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Chefs and Head Cooks salary in Charlottesville: questions
How much do chefs and head cooks make an hour in Charlottesville?
$30.89 an hour on average, and $29.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chefs and head cooks salary in Charlottesville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $55,220, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chefs and head cooks take-home pay in Charlottesville?
About $50,917 a year ($4,243 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,240.
Do chefs and head cooks earn more in Charlottesville than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($67,002).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-1011; area Charlottesville, VA (16820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.25, this job is 1.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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