Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Augusta-Richmond County, GA?

In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $33,990 a year ($16.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,200 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $45,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,120 and $40,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,543 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Augusta-Richmond County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$33,990$16.34 per hour · $2,833 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,120$11.59/hr
25th percentile$28,130$13.52/hr
75th percentile$35,980$17.30/hr
90th percentile$40,720$19.58/hr
Jobs in this metro2,200Location quotient 1.05 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $45,990
Against Georgia5% belowStatewide median $35,940
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $37,390

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Restaurant cook salary in Augusta-Richmond County, GA after taxes

$33,990
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,990
Net 84%
Fed 6%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,543After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,379Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,098Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,899 / yr
Georgia state income tax$948 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,600 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Augusta-Richmond County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$11.59/hr$2,010$24,120$21,018
25th percentile$13.52/hr$2,344$28,130$24,120
MedianMedian$16.34/hr$2,833$33,990$28,543
75th percentile$17.30/hr$2,998$35,980$30,043
90th percentile$19.58/hr$3,393$40,720$33,615

Is $33,990 a good salary in Augusta-Richmond County, 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$69,344Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.98.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49%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 Augusta-Richmond County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area was $33,990 in May 2025, about $2,833 a month or $16.34 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC was $16.34 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.58.

How many restaurant cooks work in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

BLS estimated 2,200 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.05 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC run from $24,120 at the 10th percentile to $28,130 at the 25th, $35,980 at the 75th, and $40,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

On a median gross salary of $33,990, an estimated $28,543 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,098 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,447 (an effective rate of 16%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

On the median annual salary of $33,990, gross monthly income is $2,833. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,379 per month (or $1,098 every two weeks).

Is $33,990 a good salary in Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC?

At $33,990, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 49% of the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC median household income ($69,344). It is 26% below the $45,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.9, so prices here run 8.1% below the U.S. average.