How Much Do Cooks, Restaurant Make?
$37,390 median per year · $38,730 average · 1.41 million jobs
Cooks, Restaurant earned a median of $37,390 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Half of the workers in the occupation made more than that figure and half made less.
That is 27% below the $50,980 median for all US workers — roughly 0.7× the national figure. It ranks 767th of the 825 occupations with a published median.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by percentile
A single median hides the shape of the pay distribution. The table below shows what workers earn at each fifth of the distribution, from the lowest-paid 10% to the highest-paid 10%, in both annual and hourly terms.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,700 | $13.80 |
| 25th percentile | $34,010 | $16.35 |
| Median | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| 75th percentile | $44,620 | $21.45 |
| 90th percentile | $47,900 | $23.03 |
| Average (mean) | $38,730 | $18.62 |
What the pay range means
The distance between the 10th and 90th percentiles is the clearest signal of how much pay varies inside an occupation. Here the top decile earns 1.7× what the bottom decile earns, a spread of $19,200 a year. Occupations with a wide spread usually reward experience, certifications, location or specialty. Occupations with a narrow spread tend to pay close to a common rate.
On an hourly basis the median is $17.98. Annual figures assume full-time, year-round work; part-time schedules and overtime shift the hourly-to-annual relationship, which is why the BLS publishes both.
How this occupation compares
Within food preparation and serving related, the BLS group median is $35,050. This occupation sits 7% above that mark.
About 1.41 million jobs are in the occupation, or 0.9% of the 155.5 million jobs covered by the survey. That scale matters: a very large occupation moves slowly, so its median is a stable benchmark rather than a snapshot of a few hires.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses, and some government roles.
Figures are national estimates. They describe what an occupation pays across the country as a whole, not what a particular employer, city or experience level offers. Percentiles are rounded, but no wage in the May 2025 release is top-coded: every published median and percentile is an exact figure.
Similar occupations
Roles with closely comparable median pay, mostly within food preparation and serving related.
Common questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make?
The median was $37,390 a year in May 2025. The average was $38,730, above the median — the two diverge when pay is unevenly distributed across the occupation.
What do the top 10% of Cooks, Restaurant earn?
The 90th percentile is $47,900 a year, or $23.03 an hour. Only 10% of workers in the occupation earn more than this.
What do entry-level Cooks, Restaurant earn?
The 10th percentile is $28,700 a year, or $13.80 an hour. One in ten workers in the occupation earns less than this. The BLS does not publish a separate starting-salary series.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour?
The median hourly wage is $17.98, with the middle half of workers earning between $16.35 and $21.45 an hour.
How many jobs are there for Cooks, Restaurant?
The BLS counts 1,409,890 jobs in the occupation, about 0.9% of the 155.5 million jobs covered by the survey.
Do these figures include self-employed workers?
No. The OEWS survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments. Self-employed workers, owners of unincorporated businesses, and some government and household workers are outside the survey.
Is that above the national median?
No. The median of $37,390 is 27% below the $50,980 median for all US workers.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates. Read the methodology.