Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Austin-Round Rock, TX?

In the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,810 a year ($17.70 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 13,000 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $56,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,540 and $44,490; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,757 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Austin-Round Rock, TX at a glance

Median salary

$36,810$17.70 per hour · $3,068 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,540$13.24/hr
25th percentile$31,860$15.32/hr
75th percentile$39,320$18.91/hr
90th percentile$44,490$21.39/hr
Jobs in this metro13,000Location quotient 1.11 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $56,950
Against Texas6% aboveStatewide median $34,760
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $37,390

Run the numbers on your own pay

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

Restaurant cook salary in Austin-Round Rock, TX after taxes

$36,810
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,810
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,757After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,646Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,221Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,237 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,816 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Austin-Round Rock, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$13.24/hr$2,295$27,540$24,289
25th percentile$15.32/hr$2,655$31,860$27,780
MedianMedian$17.70/hr$3,068$36,810$31,757
75th percentile$18.91/hr$3,277$39,320$33,774
90th percentile$21.39/hr$3,708$44,490$37,928

Is $36,810 a good salary in Austin-Round Rock, TX?

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$100,431Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.11.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.7%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 Austin-Round Rock, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area was $36,810 in May 2025, about $3,068 a month or $17.70 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $34,760, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX was $17.70 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.24 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.39.

How many restaurant cooks work in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

BLS estimated 13,000 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.0 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX run from $27,540 at the 10th percentile to $31,860 at the 25th, $39,320 at the 75th, and $44,490 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

On a median gross salary of $36,810, an estimated $31,757 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,221 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,053 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

On the median annual salary of $36,810, gross monthly income is $3,068. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,646 per month (or $1,221 every two weeks).

Is $36,810 a good salary in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?

At $36,810, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 36.7% of the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX median household income ($100,431). It is 35% below the $56,950 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.1, so prices here run 1.9% below the U.S. average.