How much does a Cooks, Restaurant make?

The median annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant is $37,390 ($18 per hour). Pay ranges from about $28,700 at the 10th percentile to $47,900 at the 90th percentile.

What is the average salary for a Cooks, Restaurant?

The average (mean) annual salary is $38,730, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.

Which state pays Cooks, Restaurants the most?

Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $46,800.

Is Cooks, Restaurant a growing occupation?

BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.4M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.

What does a Cooks, Restaurant do?

Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.; Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.; Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption..

Cooks, Restaurant Salary

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · 1.4M employed in the U.S.

Median annual

$37,390

Median hourly

$18

Average annual

$38,730

Typical range

$28,700–$47,900

Pay distribution

10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.

10th$28,700

25th$34,010

Median$37,390

75th$44,620

90th$47,900

What this role pays

The median annual salary for Cooks, Restaurant is $37,390 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $18 an hour at a full-time schedule.

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu..

Most earn between $28,700 and $47,900 a year. There are roughly 1.4M people employed as cooks, restaurant in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.

Salary calculator

Convert your pay and see where it lands for Cooks, Restaurant.

Pay amountPay period

Hours / weekWeeks / year

Hourly: $17.98
Daily: $144
Weekly: $719
Bi-weekly: $1,438
Monthly: $3,116
Annual: $37,390

$37,390 a year is around the 50th percentile for Cooks, Restaurants. The median is $37,390.

Cooks, Restaurant — U.S., May 2025
Percentile	Hourly	Annual
10th percentile	$13.80	$28,700
25th percentile	$16.40	$34,010
Median	$18.00	$37,390
75th percentile	$21.40	$44,620
90th percentile	$23.00	$47,900
Average (mean)	$18.60	$38,730
Employment	1,409,890 people

Key skills

Monitoring
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Coordination
Time Management
Reading Comprehension
Social Perceptiveness
Judgment and Decision Making
Active Learning

Highest-paying states

Median annual wage by state.

1Washington$46,800
2District of Columbia$46,130
3Massachusetts$45,600
4Hawaii$45,420
5Vermont$45,390
6Maine$45,290
7California$44,880
8New York$43,680
9Oregon$43,100
10Colorado$41,600
11New Hampshire$40,200
12Alaska$40,140

Top-paying metro areas

Median annual wage by metro area.

1Kahului-Wailuku, HI$49,560
2Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$47,730
3Napa, CA$47,320
4San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$47,170
5Barnstable Town, MA$46,930
6Portland-South Portland, ME$46,560
7Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$46,460
8Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$46,450
9San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$46,440
10San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$46,030
11Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$45,830
12Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$45,720

Related job titles

Employers advertise Cooks, Restaurant roles under these titles.

Related occupations

What a Cooks, Restaurant does

Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.
Carve and trim meats such as beef, veal, ham, pork, and lamb for hot or cold service, or for sandwiches.
Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.
Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Cooks, Restaurant make?: The median annual wage for Cooks, Restaurant is $37,390 ($18 per hour). Pay ranges from about $28,700 at the 10th percentile to $47,900 at the 90th percentile.
What is the average salary for a Cooks, Restaurant?: The average (mean) annual salary is $38,730, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Which state pays Cooks, Restaurants the most?: Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $46,800.
Is Cooks, Restaurant a growing occupation?: BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 1.4M people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
What does a Cooks, Restaurant do?: Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.; Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.; Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption..