$37,898
Avg. Median Salary
Salary Overview
Cooks, Restaurant median salaries range from $31,200 to $46,970 across
the 49 metro areas tracked, a 51% spread.
The national average median salary for this occupation is $37,898.
The highest-paying metro area for cooks, restaurant is Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH at $46,970,
while Birmingham-Hoover, AL pays the least at $31,200.
Total estimated employment across all tracked metros is 812,360.
Top 5 Highest-Paying Metro Areas
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | Employment | vs Average |
| 1 | Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $46,970 | 24,410 | +24% |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46,960 | 8,460 | +24% |
| 3 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $46,180 | 19,820 | +22% |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $45,230 | 22,290 | +19% |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $45,040 | 15,380 | +19% |
5 Lowest-Paying Metro Areas
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | Employment | vs Average |
| 1 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $31,200 | 4,760 | -18% |
| 2 | Tulsa, OK | $31,500 | 4,600 | -17% |
| 3 | Oklahoma City, OK | $33,390 | 8,320 | -12% |
| 4 | Pittsburgh, PA | $33,760 | 13,550 | -11% |
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $33,760 | 32,020 | -11% |
All Metro Areas for Cooks, Restaurant
| Metro Area | Median Salary | Employment | vs Average |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH | $46,970 | 24,410 | +24% |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $46,960 | 8,460 | +24% |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $46,180 | 19,820 | +22% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $45,230 | 22,290 | +19% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $45,040 | 15,380 | +19% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $44,700 | 57,770 | +18% |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $43,600 | 8,570 | +15% |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $43,420 | 17,090 | +15% |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $42,050 | 30,860 | +11% |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $41,980 | 62,890 | +11% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $39,710 | 18,230 | +5% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $39,260 | 11,970 | +4% |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $38,700 | 25,110 | +2% |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,600 | 16,310 | +2% |
| Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT | $37,790 | 4,630 | +0% |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $37,700 | 3,990 | -1% |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $37,480 | 23,240 | -1% |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $37,440 | 10,170 | -1% |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,420 | 16,050 | -1% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $37,330 | 5,130 | -1% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $37,220 | 21,160 | -2% |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $37,090 | 47,100 | -2% |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $37,090 | 13,350 | -2% |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $37,040 | 24,790 | -2% |
| Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI | $36,950 | 4,820 | -3% |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $36,690 | 8,640 | -3% |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $36,620 | 18,760 | -3% |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | $36,600 | 31,750 | -3% |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | $36,590 | 12,720 | -3% |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $36,450 | 13,910 | -4% |
| Richmond, VA | $36,380 | 6,210 | -4% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,200 | 33,190 | -4% |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL | $36,160 | 40,490 | -5% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | $36,040 | 9,210 | -5% |
| Tucson, AZ | $36,020 | 4,070 | -5% |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $36,010 | 7,610 | -5% |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT | $35,930 | 1,430 | -5% |
| Columbus, OH | $35,510 | 9,240 | -6% |
| Boise City, ID | $35,280 | 3,620 | -7% |
| Jacksonville, FL | $35,240 | 8,580 | -7% |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $35,140 | 5,580 | -7% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $34,650 | 12,060 | -9% |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $34,560 | 4,520 | -9% |
| Albuquerque, NM | $34,360 | 3,930 | -9% |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $33,760 | 32,020 | -11% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $33,760 | 13,550 | -11% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $33,390 | 8,320 | -12% |
| Tulsa, OK | $31,500 | 4,600 | -17% |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL | $31,200 | 4,760 | -18% |
Compare Salaries Across Cities
See how cooks, restaurant salaries compare to cost of living in different metro areas.
Salary Calculator Data Sources
Salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), 2024 estimates. SOC code: 35-2014.
Verify at bls.gov/oes