SOC 35-2021 · Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro

Food Preparation Workers Salary in Blacksburg, VA

The average salary for food preparation workers in Blacksburg, Virginia is $31,410 a year ($15.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $31,200: half of the 320 people in this job in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

$31,410average per year

$15.10 / hourMedian $31,200Take-home ≈ $26,426

  • $27K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

320people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 9Virginia metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Food Preparation Workers pay range in Blacksburg

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,240 or more. The middle half of food preparation workers in Blacksburg earn between $28,800 and $32,510.

  • $27K10th
  • $29K25th
  • $31KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,410$2,618$15.10
Median$31,200$2,600$15.00
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,800$2,400$13.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$32,510$2,709$15.63

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

Food Preparation Workers salary after taxes in Blacksburg

On the average salary of $31,410, a single filer in Blacksburg takes home about $26,426 a year, or $2,202 a month and $1,016 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

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

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Is Blacksburg a good place for food preparation workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Blacksburg area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.7), so the average $31,410 buys what about $33,880 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Blacksburg ($48,120). A typical home costs $291,346, or 9.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,410 is worth in another city

Food Preparation Workers salary in other Virginia cities

Blacksburg ranks 8th of 9 Virginia metro areas for this job; Charlottesville pays the most ($35,110).

All Food Preparation Workers salaries in Virginia

Highest-paying cities for food preparation workers

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($48,150).

Food Preparation Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Food Preparation Workers in Blacksburg, VA.

Food Preparation Workers salary in Blacksburg: questions

How much do food preparation workers make an hour in Blacksburg?

$15.10 an hour on average, and $15.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level food preparation workers salary in Blacksburg?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $27,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,800, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the food preparation workers take-home pay in Blacksburg?

About $26,426 a year ($2,202 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,410.

Do food preparation workers earn more in Blacksburg than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($35,748).

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 35-2021; area Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA (13980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • 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 0.76, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.76).

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