Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,030 a year ($17.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 14,430 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,210 and $45,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,965 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Charlotte-Concord, NC at a glance

Median salary

$37,030$17.80 per hour · $3,086 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,210$14.04/hr
25th percentile$30,250$14.55/hr
75th percentile$41,840$20.11/hr
90th percentile$45,980$22.11/hr
Jobs in this metro14,430Location quotient 1.17 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $49,990
Against North Carolina5% aboveStatewide median $35,400
Against the U.S.1% 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 Charlotte-Concord, NC after taxes

$37,030
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,030
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NC 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,965After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,580Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,191Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,264 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$969 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,833 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Charlotte-Concord, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$14.04/hr$2,434$29,210$24,993
25th percentile$14.55/hr$2,521$30,250$25,788
MedianMedian$17.80/hr$3,086$37,030$30,965
75th percentile$20.11/hr$3,487$41,840$34,638
90th percentile$22.11/hr$3,832$45,980$37,799

Is $37,030 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord, NC?

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$83,304Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.32.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.5%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 Charlotte-Concord, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area was $37,030 in May 2025, about $3,086 a month or $17.80 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $35,400, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC was $17.80 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.11.

How many restaurant cooks work in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS estimated 14,430 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.17 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC run from $29,210 at the 10th percentile to $30,250 at the 25th, $41,840 at the 75th, and $45,980 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On a median gross salary of $37,030, an estimated $30,965 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,191 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,065 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

On the median annual salary of $37,030, gross monthly income is $3,086. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,580 per month (or $1,191 every two weeks).

Is $37,030 a good salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?

At $37,030, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.5% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median household income ($83,304). It is 26% below the $49,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.