Waiters and Waitresses Salary
In Virginia, waiters and waitresses earn $44,760 at the median, or about $21.52 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $47,220 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 53.9% 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 $45K get you in Virginia?
About waiters and waitresses
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Virginia
Virginia sits well above the national pay line for waiters and waitresses, local pay runs about 27% higher than the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 54.9% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level waiters and waitresses (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $46K spread from bottom to top.
Waiters and Waitresses salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg | $45K | +0% | 1,150 |
| Charlottesville | $44K | -2% | 2,140 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $39K | -13% | 13,100 |
| Richmond | $38K | -14% | 9,120 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $38K | -15% | 690 |
| Winchester | $38K | -16% | 990 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $38K | -16% | 1,080 |
| Roanoke | $37K | -16% | 2,220 |
| Lynchburg | $37K | -18% | 1,410 |
Compare to other states
Track waiters and waitresses salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a waiters and waitress afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 54.9% 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 $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for waiters and waitresses in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new waiters and waitresses typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,696/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 97% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is waiters and waitress a high-paying job in Virginia?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $45K here vs. $35K nationally.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for waiters and waitresses?
Virginia pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do waiters and waitresses make in Virginia?
The median is $44,760 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,270, and experienced waiters and waitresses can clear $74,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,996/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 54.9% 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 waiters and waitresses 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 waiters and waitresses salary is worth about $47,220 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do waiters and waitresses 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.