Bellingham, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Bellingham, WA?

In the Bellingham, WA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $45,370 a year ($21.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,090 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $57,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,800 and $56,700; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,635 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Bellingham, WA at a glance

Median salary

$45,370$21.81 per hour · $3,781 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,800$17.69/hr
25th percentile$39,320$18.90/hr
75th percentile$47,420$22.80/hr
90th percentile$56,700$27.26/hr
Jobs in this metro1,090Location quotient 1.32 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $57,820
Against Washington3% belowStatewide median $46,800
Against the U.S.21% aboveNational 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 Bellingham, WA after taxes

$45,370
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,370
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,635After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,220Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,486Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,264 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,471 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Bellingham, WA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Bellingham, WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Bellingham, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$17.69/hr$3,067$36,800$31,749
25th percentile$18.90/hr$3,277$39,320$33,774
MedianMedian$21.81/hr$3,781$45,370$38,635
75th percentile$22.80/hr$3,952$47,420$40,282
90th percentile$27.26/hr$4,725$56,700$47,738

Is $45,370 a good salary in Bellingham, WA?

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$81,784Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.33.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household55.5%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 Bellingham, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Bellingham, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Bellingham, WA metro area was $45,370 in May 2025, about $3,781 a month or $21.81 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $46,800, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Bellingham, WA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Bellingham, WA was $21.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.69 an hour and one in ten earned more than $27.26.

How many restaurant cooks work in Bellingham, WA?

BLS estimated 1,090 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 11.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.32 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Bellingham, WA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Bellingham, WA run from $36,800 at the 10th percentile to $39,320 at the 25th, $47,420 at the 75th, and $56,700 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Bellingham, WA?

On a median gross salary of $45,370, an estimated $38,635 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,486 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,735 (an effective rate of 14.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Bellingham, WA?

On the median annual salary of $45,370, gross monthly income is $3,781. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,220 per month (or $1,486 every two weeks).

Is $45,370 a good salary in Bellingham, WA?

At $45,370, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 55.5% of the Bellingham, WA median household income ($81,784). It is 22% below the $57,820 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.3, so prices here run 3.3% above the U.S. average.