Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Richmond, VA
Cooks, Fast Foods in Richmond, VA make a median of $29,120 a year, or about $14 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $34K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $29,757 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,655/month — about 80.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cooks, fast foods
Sponsored links — AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $34K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $40K | +34% | 830 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +27% | 2,610 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | +23% | 2,280 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +23% | 5,140 |
| Vermont | $37K | +23% | 1,060 |
| Oregon | $37K | +23% | 4,360 |
| Washington | $37K | +22% | 8,630 |
| California | $36K | +21% | 136,550 |
| Alaska | $36K | +19% | 2,930 |
| Maine | $36K | +19% | 1,970 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | +18% | N/A |
| New York | $34K | +13% | 21,210 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +13% | 5,360 |
| Connecticut | $34K | +12% | 3,950 |
| Nevada | $33K | +8% | 6,610 |
| Wyoming | $32K | +7% | 440 |
| Maryland | $32K | +5% | 9,550 |
| Illinois | $32K | +5% | 16,320 |
| Arizona | $31K | +3% | 11,220 |
| Minnesota | $31K | +2% | 7,400 |
| South Dakota | $31K | +2% | 1,210 |
| Utah | $30K | -1% | 6,250 |
| Missouri | $29K | -2% | 52,590 |
| North Dakota | $29K | -3% | 840 |
| Michigan | $29K | -3% | 11,470 |
| Nebraska | $29K | -3% | 2,000 |
| Delaware | $29K | -4% | 790 |
| Florida | $29K | -4% | 19,510 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -4% | 2,600 |
| Iowa | $29K | -5% | 5,900 |
| Virginia | $29K | -5% | 17,430 |
| Indiana | $29K | -5% | 5,840 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -6% | 9,420 |
| Kansas | $28K | -7% | 2,150 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -7% | 16,690 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -9% | 9,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $27K | -9% | 12,420 |
| North Carolina | $27K | -11% | 89,140 |
| Alabama | $27K | -12% | 25,580 |
| Ohio | $27K | -12% | 12,610 |
| Georgia | $26K | -12% | 6,040 |
| Montana | $26K | -13% | 1,310 |
| Idaho | $26K | -13% | 2,090 |
| Arkansas | $25K | -18% | 5,980 |
| Texas | $24K | -19% | 31,120 |
| South Carolina | $24K | -21% | 10,120 |
| Kentucky | $23K | -22% | 20,250 |
| West Virginia | $23K | -24% | 15,590 |
| Mississippi | $22K | -26% | 10,520 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -27% | 2,120 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Richmond numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $29,120 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,610, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $34,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,023/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 81.8% 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 cooks, fast food salary go in Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 cooks, fast food salary is worth about $29,757 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, fast foods 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.