Restaurant cook earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$16.50 per hour

$34,329 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$14.03 per hour

$29,186 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$11.72 per hour

$24,370 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$9.78 per hour

$20,349 per year

10th percentile

Starting level restaurant cook earnings begin at:

$8.32 per hour

$17,300 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Restaurant cook salary by state

State Name Average Salary
District of Columbia $32,580
Massachusetts $32,430
Washington $31,950
Hawaii $31,491
New Jersey $30,870
Vermont $30,620
Rhode Island $30,130
Nevada $30,060
Oregon $29,340
New Hampshire $28,910
Minnesota $28,810
Wyoming $28,810
Maine $28,780
Virgin Islands, U.S. $28,630
New York $28,100
North Dakota $27,900
California $27,765
Nebraska $27,740
Maryland $27,550
Delaware $27,180
Colorado $26,929
Utah $26,900
Pennsylvania $26,510
Florida $26,434
South Dakota $26,260
Texas $25,400
Wisconsin $25,150
Virginia $24,930
Montana $24,650
Tennessee $24,370
Kansas $24,228
Michigan $24,215
Missouri $24,150
New Mexico $24,100
Oklahoma $24,000
Ohio $23,815
North Carolina $23,630
Alaska $23,427
Louisiana $23,230
Connecticut $22,971
South Carolina $22,840
Illinois $22,817
West Virginia $22,060
Georgia $21,962
Arizona $21,797
Mississippi $21,350
Iowa $21,202
Alabama $20,876
Idaho $20,777
Indiana $20,542
Kentucky $20,037
Guam $19,930
Arkansas $18,454
Puerto Rico $18,210

How do restaurant cook salaries compare to similar careers?

Restaurant cooks earn about the same as related careers in Tennessee. On average, they make less than brewmasters but more than baristas.

Career Median Salary
Brewmaster salary $36K
Food batchmaker salary $33K
Butcher salary $31K
Baker salary $25K
Dietetic technician salary $24K
Restaurant cook salary $24K
Food preparation worker salary $22K
Bartender salary $21K
Host and hostess salary $19K
Barista salary $19K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)