Restaurant cook pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA at a glance
Median salary
$33,540$16.12 per hour · $2,795 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Athens-Clarke County, GA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Athens-Clarke County, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (GA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $11.54/hr | $1,999 | $23,990 | $20,917 |
| 25th percentile | $13.72/hr | $2,378 | $28,530 | $24,429 |
| MedianMedian | $16.12/hr | $2,795 | $33,540 | $28,204 |
| 75th percentile | $17.07/hr | $2,958 | $35,500 | $29,681 |
| 90th percentile | $19.32/hr | $3,348 | $40,180 | $33,208 |
Is $33,540 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.
Restaurant cooks pay in Georgia and across the U.S.
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.
Restaurant cook pay in Athens-Clarke County, GA: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area was $33,540 in May 2025, about $2,795 a month or $16.12 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 7% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Athens-Clarke County, GA was $16.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.54 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.32.
How many restaurant cooks work in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
BLS estimated 1,120 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 11.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.29 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Athens-Clarke County, GA run from $23,990 at the 10th percentile to $28,530 at the 25th, $35,500 at the 75th, and $40,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
On a median gross salary of $33,540, an estimated $28,204 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,085 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,336 (an effective rate of 15.9%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
On the median annual salary of $33,540, gross monthly income is $2,795. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,350 per month (or $1,085 every two weeks).
Is $33,540 a good salary in Athens-Clarke County, GA?
At $33,540, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51.1% of the Athens-Clarke County, GA median household income ($65,608). It is 19% below the $41,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.