Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Tucson
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,170 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,910 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Tucson earn between $35,080 and $42,450.
- $31K10th
- $35K25th
- $38KMedian
- $42K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,200 | $3,183 | $18.37 |
| Median | $37,500 | $3,125 | $18.03 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,080 | $2,923 | $16.87 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $42,450 | $3,538 | $20.41 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Tucson vs. Arizona and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Tucson earn 5% less than the Arizona average ($40,070) and about the same as the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is +0% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson | $38,200 | $37,500 | $31,170 | $44,910 | 3,810 |
| Arizona | $40,070 | $38,670 | $33,250 | $46,240 | 30,870 |
| United States | $38,730 | $37,390 | $28,700 | $47,900 | 1,409,890 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Tucson
On the average salary of $38,200, a single filer in Tucson takes home about $32,312 a year, or $2,693 a month and $1,243 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Tucson a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Tucson area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.9), so the average $38,200 buys what about $39,424 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Tucson ($47,760). A typical home costs $343,580, or 9.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Arizona cities
Tucson ranks 4th of 7 Arizona metro areas for this job; Phoenix pays the most ($40,910).
- Phoenix$40,910
- Flagstaff$40,110
- Prescott Valley$38,880
- Tucson$38,200
- Lake Havasu City$37,310
- Yuma$36,750
- Sierra Vista$35,470
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in Tucson: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Tucson?
$18.37 an hour on average, and $18.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Tucson?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,170 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,080, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Tucson?
About $32,312 a year ($2,693 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,200.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Tucson than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2014; area Tucson, AZ (46060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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