Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in West Virginia make a median of $23,120 a year, or about $11.12 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $28K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.03), which stretches that salary to about $25,969 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,008/month, about 61.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across West Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $23K get you in West Virginia?
About cooks, fast foods
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What this looks like in West Virginia
Pay for cooks, fast food in West Virginia runs about 25% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,008/month, which is 60.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.03 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, fast foods.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, West Virginia
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $23K. Top earners bring in $28K or more, a $7K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food salary by metro in West Virginia
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weirton-Steubenville | $24K | +3% | 450 |
| Charleston | $23K | +0% | 2,230 |
| Wheeling | $23K | -0% | 810 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna | $23K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Huntington-Ashland | $23K | -2% | 3,070 |
| Beckley | $22K | -3% | 1,170 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when West Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, fast food afford a 2BR apartment alone in West Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $23K, rent takes 60.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,008/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, fast foods in West Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,296/month. At HUD’s $1,008/month FMR, rent would take 78% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, fast food a high-paying job in West Virginia?
Local pay runs 25% below the national median — $23K here vs. $31K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does West Virginia compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
West Virginia pays $23K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $26K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in West Virginia?
The median is $23,120 a year, that works out to about $11 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,600, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $28,300. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $23K enough to live in West Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,658/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,008/month, which eats 60.8% 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 West Virginia?
West Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 89.03 (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 $25,969 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.