Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Helena
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,650 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,740 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Helena earn between $35,640 and $43,490.
- $30K10th
- $36K25th
- $38KMedian
- $43K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,570 | $3,214 | $18.54 |
| Median | $38,030 | $3,169 | $18.28 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,640 | $2,970 | $17.13 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $43,490 | $3,624 | $20.91 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Helena vs. Montana and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Helena earn about the same as the Montana average ($38,980) and about the same as the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is +2% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena | $38,570 | $38,030 | $29,650 | $47,740 | 570 |
| Montana | $38,980 | $38,060 | $29,380 | $47,670 | 7,580 |
| 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 Helena
On the average salary of $38,570, a single filer in Helena takes home about $32,115 a year, or $2,676 a month and $1,235 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Helena a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Helena area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.7), so the average $38,570 buys what about $40,314 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Helena ($55,040). A typical home costs $477,996, or 12.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Montana cities
Helena ranks 4th of 5 Montana metro areas for this job; Bozeman pays the most ($42,110).
- Bozeman$42,110
- Missoula$38,820
- Billings$38,600
- Helena$38,570
- Great Falls$36,750
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 Helena: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Helena?
$18.54 an hour on average, and $18.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Helena?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,650 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,640, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Helena?
About $32,115 a year ($2,676 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,570.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Helena 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 Helena, MT (25740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- 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 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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