Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Portland
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,510 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,430 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Portland earn between $38,850 and $51,010.
- $38K10th
- $39K25th
- $45KMedian
- $51K75th
- $61K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $46,230 | $3,852 | $22.23 |
| Median | $45,200 | $3,767 | $21.73 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $38,850 | $3,238 | $18.68 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $51,010 | $4,251 | $24.52 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Portland vs. Oregon and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Portland earn 5% more than the Oregon average ($44,130) and 19% more than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is +21% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $46,230 | $45,200 | $37,510 | $61,430 | 13,020 |
| Oregon | $44,130 | $43,100 | $36,080 | $58,280 | 21,550 |
| 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 Portland
On the average salary of $46,230, a single filer in Portland takes home about $36,133 a year, or $3,011 a month and $1,390 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in WA | $39,326 | $3,277 |
| Working in OR | $36,133 | $3,011 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Portland a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Portland area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.4), so the average $46,230 buys what about $43,853 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Portland ($60,690). A typical home costs $552,022, or 11.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Oregon cities
Portland ranks 1st of 8 Oregon metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
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 Portland: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Portland?
$22.23 an hour on average, and $21.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Portland?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,510 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,850, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Portland?
About $36,133 a year ($3,011 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,230. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Portland than elsewhere?
The average here is 19% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA (38900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
- 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). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.19, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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