Cooks, Restaurant salary in the U.S.
Cooks, Restaurant in the U.S. earn a median of $37,390 a year ($17.98 an hour), based on BLS data for 1,409,890 workers.
Pay ranges from $28,700 for the lowest-paid 10% to $47,900 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $38,730, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for cooks, restaurant in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,700 | $13.80 |
| 25th percentile | $34,010 | $16.35 |
| Median | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| 75th percentile | $44,620 | $21.45 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,900 | $23.03 |
| Average (mean) | $38,730 | $18.62 |
Half of cooks, restaurant earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $3,115.83 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,557.92 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,438.08 |
| Weekly | $719.04 |
| Hourly | $17.98 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $46,800 | 35,140 |
| District of Columbia | $46,130 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $45,600 | 29,570 |
| Hawaii | $45,420 | 11,090 |
| Vermont | $45,390 | 2,360 |
| Maine | $45,290 | 5,130 |
| California | $44,880 | 152,250 |
| New York | $43,680 | 71,530 |
| Oregon | $43,100 | 21,550 |
| Colorado | $41,600 | 30,600 |
| New Hampshire | $40,200 | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $40,140 | 2,350 |
| Connecticut | $39,480 | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $38,670 | 30,870 |
| Nevada | $38,610 | 27,250 |
| Minnesota | $38,590 | 26,080 |
| New Jersey | $38,460 | 28,800 |
| Montana | $38,060 | 7,580 |
| Delaware | $37,840 | 5,280 |
| Maryland | $37,820 | 17,690 |
| Illinois | $37,580 | 53,540 |
| Virgin Islands | $37,430 | 410 |
| Nebraska | $37,030 | 4,750 |
| Florida | $37,020 | 124,040 |
| Michigan | $36,980 | 39,100 |
| Missouri | $36,940 | 25,990 |
| Wyoming | $36,830 | 2,710 |
| Virginia | $36,750 | 40,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,580 | 54,100 |
| Wisconsin | $36,550 | 25,410 |
| Rhode Island | $36,510 | 6,950 |
| Utah | $36,490 | 10,520 |
| North Dakota | $36,470 | 4,490 |
| Idaho | $36,440 | 8,130 |
| Tennessee | $36,420 | 28,220 |
| South Dakota | $36,220 | 1,890 |
| Georgia | $35,940 | 46,350 |
| South Carolina | $35,740 | 25,890 |
| Iowa | $35,670 | 12,270 |
| Ohio | $35,540 | 46,910 |
| North Carolina | $35,400 | 50,150 |
| Indiana | $35,170 | 26,960 |
| Kansas | $35,130 | 11,620 |
| New Mexico | $35,020 | 7,810 |
| Texas | $34,760 | 126,620 |
| Kentucky | $34,640 | 13,510 |
| Alabama | $32,180 | 16,260 |
| Oklahoma | $31,720 | 17,050 |
| Arkansas | $30,180 | 11,270 |
| West Virginia | $29,590 | 6,450 |
| Mississippi | $29,560 | 10,770 |
| Louisiana | $29,050 | 14,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,650 | 9,810 |
| Guam | $22,950 | 1,110 |
Best-paying metro areas for cooks, restaurant
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,560 | 1,770 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $47,730 | 20,850 |
| Napa, CA | $47,320 | 1,270 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $47,170 | 8,900 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $46,930 | 1,760 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $46,560 | 2,730 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $46,460 | 1,090 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $46,450 | 590 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,440 | 15,670 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $46,030 | 20,540 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $45,830 | 22,900 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $45,720 | 2,340 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $45,390 | 950 |
| Bellingham, WA | $45,370 | 1,090 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $45,280 | 1,150 |
Metro areas with the most cooks, restaurant
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 69,250 | $43,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 54,320 | $44,460 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 41,690 | $38,930 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 37,210 | $36,920 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 34,430 | $36,490 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 32,710 | $35,050 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 29,670 | $42,920 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 29,040 | $37,230 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 24,220 | $38,270 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 22,900 | $45,830 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 22,530 | $38,800 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 21,780 | $39,170 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 20,850 | $47,730 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 20,540 | $46,030 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 19,960 | $37,970 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,880 | $17.25 |
| Cooks, All Other | $37,690 | $18.12 |
| Cooks, Private Household | $47,940 | $23.05 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | $21.19 |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $16.51 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $16.73 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | $17.00 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-2014. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in the U.S.?
The median salary for cooks, restaurant in the U.S. is $37,390 a year, or $17.98 an hour. Pay ranges from $28,700 for the lowest-paid 10% to $47,900 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid cooks, restaurant make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of cooks, restaurant in the U.S. earn at least $47,900 a year. The top 25% earn $44,620 or more.
What is the starting pay for cooks, restaurant in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $28,700 a year, and a quarter of cooks, restaurant earn $34,010 or less.
How many cooks, restaurant work in the U.S.?
About 1,409,890 cooks, restaurant are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.