SOC 35-2014 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Restaurant — Charleston
Charleston, WV · 6 metro areas compared
The median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Charleston, WV is $29,450 per year, 21.2% below the national median of $37,390.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +14.9%
- Openings per year
- 250,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Charleston, WV.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Charleston, WV is $29,450 per year, 21.2% below the national median of $37,390. Half of workers earn between $23,580 and $31,200. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $22,530 and the ninetieth at $36,940.
Employment stands at 770, or 7.5 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Weirton records the highest median at $30,030. Of the 341 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 313th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22,530 | −39.7% |
| 25th | $23,580 | −36.9% |
| Median (50th) | $29,450 | −21.2% |
| 75th | $31,200 | −16.6% |
| 90th | $36,940 | −1.2% |
| Mean | $29,730 | −20.5% |
Other metro areas in West Virginia
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weirton | $30,030 | 320 | |
| 2 | Morgantown | $29,740 | 760 | |
| 3 | Wheeling | $29,710 | 580 | |
| 4 | Parkersburg | $29,700 | 410 | |
| 5 | Huntington | $29,550 | 1,090 | |
| 6 | Beckley | $28,770 | 420 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Charleston run 11.3% below the national average, so the median of $29,450 goes as far as $33,202 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$29,450as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$33,202US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $29,450 a year, 21.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $22,530 to $36,940 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 770 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Weirton, at $30,030.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Charleston, WV?
The median annual wage is $29,450, or $14.16 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,390, so pay in Charleston, WV is 21.2% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Charleston, WV earns more than $36,940 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $22,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Weirton, at $30,030 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 770 jobs in this occupation in Charleston, WV. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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