Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Buffalo
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,390 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Buffalo earn between $36,840 and $44,050.
- $35K10th
- $37K25th
- $38KMedian
- $44K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,620 | $3,385 | $19.53 |
| Median | $38,060 | $3,172 | $18.30 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,840 | $3,070 | $17.71 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,050 | $3,671 | $21.18 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Buffalo vs. New York and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Buffalo earn 6% less than the New York average ($43,150) and 5% more than 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | $40,620 | $38,060 | $34,900 | $46,390 | 3,990 |
| New York | $43,150 | $43,680 | $34,490 | $54,240 | 71,530 |
| 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 Buffalo
On the average salary of $40,620, a single filer in Buffalo takes home about $33,189 a year, or $2,766 a month and $1,277 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Is Buffalo a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Buffalo area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.8), so the average $40,620 buys what about $42,381 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Buffalo ($50,790). A typical home costs $288,316, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other New York cities
Buffalo ranks 9th of 13 New York metro areas for this job; New York pays the most ($43,200).
- New York$43,200
- Kiryas Joel$42,850
- Kingston$42,230
- Ithaca$41,360
- Albany$41,320
- Utica$41,190
- Glens Falls$40,950
- Syracuse$40,660
- Buffalo$40,620
- Rochester$40,250
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 Buffalo: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Buffalo?
$19.53 an hour on average, and $18.30 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Buffalo?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,840, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Buffalo?
About $33,189 a year ($2,766 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,620. New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Buffalo than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more than 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY (15380). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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 (2025 rules). New York City (up to 3.876%) and Yonkers income taxes are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.82, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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