Restaurant cook earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$18.02 per hour

$37,490 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$16.79 per hour

$34,910 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$14.11 per hour

$29,350 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$12.95 per hour

$26,930 per year

10th percentile

Starting level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$10.72 per hour

$22,290 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 about the same as related careers in Wisconsin. On average, they make less than brewmasters but more than bartenders.

Career Median Salary
Brewmaster salary $48K
Food batchmaker salary $37K
Butcher salary $36K
Baker salary $30K
Dietetic technician salary $29K
Restaurant cook salary $29K
Food preparation worker salary $25K
Food server salary $21K
Maitre d' salary $23K
Bartender salary $22K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)