SOC 35-2014 · Harrisonburg, VA metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Harrisonburg, VA

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Harrisonburg, Virginia is $35,600 a year ($17.12 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $35,920: half of the 740 people in this job in the Harrisonburg, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).

$35,600average per year

$17.12 / hourMedian $35,920Take-home ≈ $29,552

  • $29K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $44K90th

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

740people in this job
-8%vs U.S. average
#5 of 9Virginia metros
95cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Harrisonburg

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,680 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,740 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Harrisonburg earn between $30,490 and $37,600.

  • $29K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $44K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,600$2,967$17.12
Median$35,920$2,993$17.27
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,490$2,541$14.66
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,600$3,133$18.08

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

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Harrisonburg vs. Virginia and the U.S.

Cooks, restaurant in Harrisonburg earn 7% less than the Virginia average ($38,180) and 8% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $37,390.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Harrisonburg$35,600$35,920$28,680$43,740740
Virginia$38,180$36,750$29,340$45,74040,310
United States$38,730$37,390$28,700$47,9001,409,890

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

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Harrisonburg

On the average salary of $35,600, a single filer in Harrisonburg takes home about $29,552 a year, or $2,463 a month and $1,137 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% 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 Harrisonburg a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Harrisonburg area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 94.9), so the average $35,600 buys what about $37,516 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Harrisonburg ($46,110). A typical home costs $352,185, or 9.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,600 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Virginia cities

Harrisonburg ranks 5th of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Charlottesville pays the most ($37,910).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Virginia

Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).

Cooks, Restaurant salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Cooks, Restaurant in Harrisonburg, VA.

Cooks, Restaurant salary in Harrisonburg: questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Harrisonburg?

$17.12 an hour on average, and $17.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Harrisonburg?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,680 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,490, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Harrisonburg?

About $29,552 a year ($2,463 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,600.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Harrisonburg than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).

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 35-2014; area Harrisonburg, VA (25500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
  • 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 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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