Dishwashers Salary
The median pay for a dishwashers in Virginia is $33,130/year ($15.93/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $34,951 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 72.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $33K actually covers in Virginia, month by month
About dishwashers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Dishwashers pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $35K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 72.4% 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 dishwashers (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Dishwashers salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville | $33K | -0% | 480 |
| Harrisonburg | $31K | -5% | 280 |
| Richmond | $31K | -5% | 1,980 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $30K | -9% | 160 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $30K | -10% | 2,300 |
| Winchester | $30K | -10% | 250 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $29K | -12% | 230 |
| Roanoke | $29K | -13% | 510 |
| Lynchburg | $29K | -13% | 340 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a dishwasher afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 72.4% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for dishwashers in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new dishwashers typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,910/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 86% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is dishwasher a high-paying job in Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $35K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for dishwashers?
Virginia pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do dishwashers make in Virginia?
The median is $33,130 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,300, and experienced dishwashers can clear $40,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,273/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 72.4% 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 dishwashers 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 dishwashers salary is worth about $34,951 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do dishwashers 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.