Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

In the Champaign-Urbana, IL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,040 a year ($17.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 970 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $50,700 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,410 and $44,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,499 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Champaign-Urbana, IL at a glance

Median salary

$36,040$17.33 per hour · $3,003 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,410$15.10/hr
25th percentile$34,200$16.44/hr
75th percentile$38,350$18.44/hr
90th percentile$44,990$21.63/hr
Jobs in this metro970Location quotient 1.01 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $50,700
Against Illinois4% belowStatewide median $37,580
Against the U.S.4% belowNational 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 Champaign-Urbana, IL after taxes

$36,040
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,040
Net 82%
Fed 6%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,499After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,458Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,135Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate18.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,145 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,639 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,757 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Champaign-Urbana, IL, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$15.10/hr$2,618$31,410$26,008
25th percentile$16.44/hr$2,850$34,200$28,112
MedianMedian$17.33/hr$3,003$36,040$29,499
75th percentile$18.44/hr$3,196$38,350$31,241
90th percentile$21.63/hr$3,749$44,990$36,247

Is $36,040 a good salary in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

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$65,528Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household55%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 Champaign-Urbana, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area was $36,040 in May 2025, about $3,003 a month or $17.33 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $37,580, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Champaign-Urbana, IL was $17.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.10 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.63.

How many restaurant cooks work in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

BLS estimated 970 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Champaign-Urbana, IL run from $31,410 at the 10th percentile to $34,200 at the 25th, $38,350 at the 75th, and $44,990 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

On a median gross salary of $36,040, an estimated $29,499 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,135 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,541 (an effective rate of 18.1%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

On the median annual salary of $36,040, gross monthly income is $3,003. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,458 per month (or $1,135 every two weeks).

Is $36,040 a good salary in Champaign-Urbana, IL?

At $36,040, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 55% of the Champaign-Urbana, IL median household income ($65,528). It is 29% below the $50,700 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.