Chefs and Head Cooks Salary
Chefs and Head Cooks in Virginia make a median of $63,270 a year, or about $30.42 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $66,748 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 39.6% 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 $63K get you in Virginia?
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What this looks like in Virginia
Chefs and head cooks pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 39.7% 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 chefs and head cooks (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $47K spread from bottom to top.
Chefs and Head Cooks salary by metro in Virginia
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg | $63K | +0% | 60 |
| Charlottesville | $62K | -2% | 180 |
| Richmond | $60K | -6% | 540 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $58K | -9% | 530 |
| Roanoke | $57K | -9% | 100 |
| Lynchburg | $57K | -10% | 90 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $57K | -11% | 70 |
| Winchester | $54K | -14% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track chefs and head cooks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a chefs and head cook afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 39.7% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chefs and head cooks in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chefs and head cooks typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,581/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chefs and head cook a high-paying job in Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for chefs and head cooks?
Virginia pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chefs and head cooks make in Virginia?
The median is $63,270 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,010, and experienced chefs and head cooks can clear $90,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,146/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 39.7% 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 chefs and head cooks 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 chefs and head cooks salary is worth about $66,748 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chefs and head cooks 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.