SOC 35-2012 · Charlottesville, VA metro

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Charlottesville, VA

The average salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Charlottesville, Virginia is $38,530 a year ($18.53 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $38,510: half of the 450 people in this job in the Charlottesville, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

$38,530average per year

$18.53 / hourMedian $38,510Take-home ≈ $31,737

  • $31K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

450people in this job
-1%vs U.S. average
#2 of 9Virginia metros
99cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Charlottesville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,020 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Charlottesville earn between $35,620 and $40,290.

  • $31K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $40K75th
  • $45K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$38,530$3,211$18.52
Median$38,510$3,209$18.51
Entry level (25th percentile)$35,620$2,968$17.12
Experienced (75th percentile)$40,290$3,358$19.37

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Charlottesville vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Cooks, institution and cafeteria in Charlottesville earn about the same as the Virginia average ($39,500) and about the same as the U.S. average ($38,810). At the median the gap is +3% against the U.S. median of $37,450.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Charlottesville$38,530$38,510$30,600$45,020450
Virginia$39,500$37,890$30,000$47,94011,170
United States$38,810$37,450$28,480$49,670441,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary after taxes in Charlottesville

On the average salary of $38,530, a single filer in Charlottesville takes home about $31,737 a year, or $2,645 a month and $1,221 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Charlottesville a good place for cooks, institution and cafeteria? 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 $38,530 buys what about $38,862 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Charlottesville ($55,180). A typical home costs $473,058, or 12.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $38,530 is worth in another city

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other Virginia cities

Charlottesville ranks 2nd of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Virginia Beach pays the most ($40,740).

All Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries in Virginia

Highest-paying cities for cooks, institution and cafeteria

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,770).

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary by city

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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Charlottesville: questions

How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make an hour in Charlottesville?

$18.53 an hour on average, and $18.52 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, institution and cafeteria salary in Charlottesville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $30,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,620, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, institution and cafeteria take-home pay in Charlottesville?

About $31,737 a year ($2,645 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,530.

Do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more in Charlottesville than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

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 35-2012; area Charlottesville, VA (16820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.38, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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