Ann Arbor, MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Ann Arbor, MI?

In the Ann Arbor, MI metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $38,290 a year ($18.41 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,600 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $55,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,860 and $47,840; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Michigan tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,569 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Ann Arbor, MI at a glance

Median salary

$38,290$18.41 per hour · $3,191 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,860$14.84/hr
25th percentile$36,880$17.73/hr
75th percentile$44,580$21.43/hr
90th percentile$47,840$23.00/hr
Jobs in this metro1,600Location quotient 0.80 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $55,380
Against Michigan4% aboveStatewide median $36,980
Against the U.S.2% aboveNational median $37,390

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Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Restaurant cook salary in Ann Arbor, MI after taxes

$38,290
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,290
Net 82%
Fed 6%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,569After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,631Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,214Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,415 / yr
Michigan state income tax$1,377 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,929 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Ann Arbor, MI, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Ann Arbor, MI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Ann Arbor, MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MI)
10th percentile$14.84/hr$2,572$30,860$25,915
25th percentile$17.73/hr$3,073$36,880$30,496
MedianMedian$18.41/hr$3,191$38,290$31,569
75th percentile$21.43/hr$3,715$44,580$36,356
90th percentile$23.00/hr$3,987$47,840$38,837

Is $38,290 a good salary in Ann Arbor, MI?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.

Median household income$89,180Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do restaurant cooks pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Restaurant cook pay in Ann Arbor, MI: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Ann Arbor, MI?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Ann Arbor, MI metro area was $38,290 in May 2025, about $3,191 a month or $18.41 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $36,980, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Ann Arbor, MI?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Ann Arbor, MI was $18.41 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.84 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.00.

How many restaurant cooks work in Ann Arbor, MI?

BLS estimated 1,600 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.80 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Ann Arbor, MI?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Ann Arbor, MI run from $30,860 at the 10th percentile to $36,880 at the 25th, $44,580 at the 75th, and $47,840 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Ann Arbor, MI?

On a median gross salary of $38,290, an estimated $31,569 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,214 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,721 (an effective rate of 17.6%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Ann Arbor, MI?

On the median annual salary of $38,290, gross monthly income is $3,191. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,631 per month (or $1,214 every two weeks).

Is $38,290 a good salary in Ann Arbor, MI?

At $38,290, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 42.9% of the Ann Arbor, MI median household income ($89,180). It is 31% below the $55,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.