How much does a restaurant cook make?
Typical yearly pay for cooks, restaurant in the United States.
median pay per year, about $3,116 a month or $17.98 an hour.
That's more than 9% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #91 of 100.
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| Barber | $38,210 |
| Veterinary assistant | $38,150 |
| Security guard | $38,020 |
| Restaurant cook | $37,390 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
| Janitor | $36,840 |
| Hairstylist | $35,790 |
Similar jobs
- Baker$37,160
- Waiter or waitress$35,230
- Butcher$40,140
- Bartender$34,340
- Fast food worker$31,200
- Head chef$62,470
How much does a restaurant cook make per hour?
About $17.98 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.
Becoming a restaurant cook
The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.
How to become a restaurant cook
About this number
This is the national median wage for the occupation “Cooks, Restaurant” (code 35-2014.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.