Restaurant cook earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$17.26 per hour

$35,900 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$14.50 per hour

$30,160 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$13.66 per hour

$28,420 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$11.21 per hour

$23,310 per year

10th percentile

Starting level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$10.25 per hour

$21,320 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Restaurant cook salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Washington $37,520
Hawaii $37,240
Massachusetts $37,070
New York $36,880
Vermont $36,870
New Jersey $36,830
New Hampshire $36,790
District of Columbia $36,750
California $36,490
Connecticut $36,070
Maine $35,830
Colorado $35,650
Minnesota $34,740
Oregon $32,150
Wyoming $31,010
Alaska $30,730
Nebraska $30,720
Maryland $30,470
North Dakota $30,350
Illinois $30,330
Rhode Island $30,300
Arizona $30,290
Nevada $29,940
Delaware $29,910
Virgin Islands, U.S. $29,700
Florida $29,680
Iowa $29,490
Utah $29,460
Michigan $29,440
Wisconsin $29,350
Pennsylvania $29,270
Montana $29,170
Idaho $29,140
South Dakota $29,080
Ohio $28,850
South Carolina $28,850
Tennessee $28,840
Georgia $28,820
New Mexico $28,780
Virginia $28,780
Indiana $28,670
North Carolina $28,660
Texas $28,420
Oklahoma $28,350
Missouri $28,250
Kansas $27,930
Kentucky $27,910
Arkansas $27,010
Louisiana $24,810
Alabama $24,360
Mississippi $23,520
West Virginia $23,340
Guam $21,270
Puerto Rico $18,000

How do restaurant cook salaries compare to similar careers?

Restaurant cooks earn 11% less than similar careers in Texas. On average, they make less than culinary chefs but more than food servers.

Career Median Salary
Culinary chef salary $43K
Brewmaster salary $40K
Food batchmaker salary $30K
Butcher salary $31K
Dietetic technician salary $28K
Restaurant cook salary $28K
Baker salary $27K
Bartender salary $22K
Food preparation worker salary $28K
Food server salary $21K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)