Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Raleigh
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,700 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Raleigh earn between $30,200 and $38,940.
- $29K10th
- $30K25th
- $36KMedian
- $39K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,350 | $3,029 | $17.48 |
| Median | $36,280 | $3,023 | $17.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $30,200 | $2,517 | $14.52 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,940 | $3,245 | $18.72 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Raleigh vs. North Carolina and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Raleigh earn 3% more than the North Carolina average ($35,140) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | $36,350 | $36,280 | $29,350 | $45,700 | 7,160 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 | $35,400 | $27,980 | $45,450 | 50,150 |
| 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 Raleigh
On the average salary of $36,350, a single filer in Raleigh takes home about $30,446 a year, or $2,537 a month and $1,171 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Raleigh a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Raleigh area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 98.2), so the average $36,350 buys what about $37,033 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Raleigh ($51,990). A typical home costs $438,364, or 12.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other North Carolina cities
Raleigh ranks 3rd of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($37,110).
- Charlotte$37,110
- Asheville$37,000
- Raleigh$36,350
- Durham$36,050
- Pinehurst$34,630
- Wilmington$34,140
- Greensboro$34,040
- Winston-Salem$33,630
- Burlington$33,300
- Greenville$33,130
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 Raleigh: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Raleigh?
$17.48 an hour on average, and $17.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Raleigh?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,200, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Raleigh?
About $30,446 a year ($2,537 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,350.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Raleigh than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less 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 Raleigh-Cary, NC (39580). 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.06, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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