Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?

In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,230 a year ($17.90 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 29,040 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,370 and $43,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,985 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA at a glance

Median salary

$37,230$17.90 per hour · $3,103 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,370$13.16/hr
25th percentile$30,680$14.75/hr
75th percentile$38,420$18.47/hr
90th percentile$43,690$21.01/hr
Jobs in this metro29,040Location quotient 1.11 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $51,170
Against Georgia4% aboveStatewide median $35,940
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA after taxes

$37,230
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,230
Net 83%
Fed 6%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,985After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,582Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,192Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,288 / yr
Georgia state income tax$1,109 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,848 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$13.16/hr$2,281$27,370$23,532
25th percentile$14.75/hr$2,557$30,680$26,049
MedianMedian$17.90/hr$3,103$37,230$30,985
75th percentile$18.47/hr$3,202$38,420$31,882
90th percentile$21.01/hr$3,641$43,690$35,853

Is $37,230 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?

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$89,724Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.10.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.5%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 Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area was $37,230 in May 2025, about $3,103 a month or $17.90 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA was $17.90 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.16 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.01.

How many restaurant cooks work in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS estimated 29,040 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.11 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA run from $27,370 at the 10th percentile to $30,680 at the 25th, $38,420 at the 75th, and $43,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On a median gross salary of $37,230, an estimated $30,985 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,192 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,245 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

On the median annual salary of $37,230, gross monthly income is $3,103. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,582 per month (or $1,192 every two weeks).

Is $37,230 a good salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA?

At $37,230, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 41.5% of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA median household income ($89,724). It is 27% below the $51,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.1, so prices here run 0.1% above the U.S. average.