Restaurant cook pay in Baltimore-Columbia, MD at a glance
Median salary
$37,420$17.99 per hour · $3,118 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Baltimore-Columbia, MD after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Baltimore-Columbia, MD, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (MD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.95/hr | $2,938 | $35,250 | $29,193 |
| 25th percentile | $17.47/hr | $3,028 | $36,330 | $30,009 |
| MedianMedian | $17.99/hr | $3,118 | $37,420 | $30,833 |
| 75th percentile | $20.25/hr | $3,509 | $42,110 | $34,379 |
| 90th percentile | $22.53/hr | $3,906 | $46,870 | $37,977 |
Is $37,420 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia, MD?
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 Maryland 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 Baltimore-Columbia, MD: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area was $37,420 in May 2025, about $3,118 a month or $17.99 an hour. Statewide, the Maryland median for this job is $37,820, so the metro pays 1% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was $17.99 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.53.
How many restaurant cooks work in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
BLS estimated 7,760 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 5.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.63 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD run from $35,250 at the 10th percentile to $36,330 at the 25th, $42,110 at the 75th, and $46,870 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
On a median gross salary of $37,420, an estimated $30,833 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,186 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Maryland in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,587 (an effective rate of 17.6%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
On the median annual salary of $37,420, gross monthly income is $3,118. After federal, FICA, and Maryland state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,569 per month (or $1,186 every two weeks).
Is $37,420 a good salary in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
At $37,420, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 37.6% of the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD median household income ($99,470). It is 37% below the $59,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.5, so prices here run 4.5% above the U.S. average.