Food Jobs & Pay in Virginia
About 368,320 people in Virginia work in food-related jobs. Median pay by occupation, with the national median in the last column.
Restaurants & service
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 104,460 | $30,110 | $27,130 – $37,550 | $31,200 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 59,370 | $44,760 | $28,270 – $74,130 | $35,230 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 40,310 | $36,750 | $29,340 – $45,740 | $37,390 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 30,640 | $45,550 | $32,030 – $63,250 | $44,080 |
| Food Preparation Workers | 16,340 | $34,900 | $28,460 – $42,480 | $35,320 |
| Bartenders | 13,370 | $47,070 | $27,890 – $90,400 | $34,340 |
| Dishwashers | 12,520 | $33,130 | $27,300 – $40,450 | $34,810 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 12,520 | $29,950 | $27,400 – $37,730 | $30,890 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | 11,910 | $32,410 | $27,370 – $46,360 | $33,980 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | 11,170 | $37,890 | $30,000 – $47,940 | $37,450 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | 10,890 | $30,490 | $27,230 – $44,630 | $31,200 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | 7,420 | $35,090 | $29,040 – $42,930 | $35,360 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 3,600 | $63,270 | $43,010 – $90,470 | $62,470 |
| Cooks, Short Order | 3,350 | $31,200 | $25,810 – $42,520 | $35,880 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other | 1,390 | $35,870 | $27,780 – $45,760 | $35,840 |
| Cooks, All Other | 480 | $35,810 | $26,630 – $64,300 | $37,690 |
Food processing
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakers | 7,820 | $34,430 | $28,140 – $46,620 | $37,160 |
| Food Batchmakers | 2,870 | $41,080 | $31,670 – $56,160 | $42,290 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 2,740 | $36,170 | $29,470 – $43,240 | $38,300 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 2,630 | $39,770 | $31,290 – $55,810 | $40,140 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 1,480 | $37,430 | $29,350 – $37,690 | $40,130 |
| Food Processing Workers, All Other | 1,190 | $37,810 | $34,790 – $43,390 | $39,680 |
| Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders | 510 | $35,140 | $31,480 – $48,800 | $41,590 |
| Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 270 | $59,260 | $34,790 – $84,520 | $44,810 |
Farm & field
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,590 | $35,580 | $29,130 – $45,700 | $35,660 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 630 | $38,670 | $29,530 – $62,010 | $36,670 |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 380 | $47,380 | $41,640 – $64,360 | $49,940 |
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | 230 | $34,860 | $34,600 – $44,110 | $35,730 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 120 | $47,890 | $39,780 – $60,910 | $41,730 |
Science & nutrition
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietitians and Nutritionists | 1,510 | $77,380 | $44,940 – $103,130 | $76,400 |
| Food Science Technicians | 150 | $65,360 | $47,250 – $78,700 | $52,130 |
| Food Scientists and Technologists | 70 | $93,590 | $66,000 – $160,700 | $88,720 |
Management
| Job | Workers | Median pay | Typical range (10th–90th) | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Managers | 3,820 | $71,230 | $50,970 – $103,470 | $69,390 |
| Farm and Home Management Educators | 520 | $76,710 | $47,340 – $97,140 | $60,220 |
| Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers | 50 | $66,780 | $51,610 – $97,290 | $89,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, most recent annual estimate. Some occupations are suppressed in smaller states and are omitted. Median pay is the middle of the wage distribution; employment counts exclude the self-employed. Labour-market data, not job listings.