Cashiers Salary
Cashiers in Virginia make a median of $30,580 a year, or about $14.7 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $32,261 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 78.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $31K get you in Virginia?
About cashiers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Cashiers pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $31K locally vs. $33K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 77.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level cashiers (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Cashiers salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $31K | +1% | 2,110 |
| Richmond | $30K | -1% | 14,460 |
| Winchester | $30K | -3% | 1,690 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $30K | -3% | 1,330 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $29K | -4% | 16,840 |
| Roanoke | $29K | -5% | 3,380 |
| Harrisonburg | $29K | -5% | 1,460 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $29K | -6% | 1,790 |
| Lynchburg | $28K | -7% | 2,810 |
Compare to other states
Track cashiers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cashier afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 77.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cashiers in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cashiers typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,622/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 101% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cashier a high-paying job in Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $31K locally vs. $33K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for cashiers?
Virginia pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $33K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do cashiers make in Virginia?
The median is $30,580 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,040, and experienced cashiers can clear $37,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,114/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 77.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cashiers salary go in Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cashiers salary is worth about $32,261 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cashiers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.