Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Cincinnati, OH?

In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,030 a year ($17.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,810 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,250 and $44,880; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,097 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Cincinnati, OH at a glance

Median salary

$36,030$17.32 per hour · $3,003 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,250$13.10/hr
25th percentile$29,200$14.04/hr
75th percentile$37,890$18.22/hr
90th percentile$44,880$21.58/hr
Jobs in this metro10,810Location quotient 1.08 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $50,170
Against Indiana2% aboveStatewide median $35,170
Against the U.S.4% 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 Cincinnati, OH after taxes

$36,030
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,030
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,097After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,508Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,158Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,144 / yr
Indiana state income tax$1,033 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,756 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Cincinnati, OH, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$13.10/hr$2,271$27,250$23,276
25th percentile$14.04/hr$2,433$29,200$24,810
MedianMedian$17.32/hr$3,003$36,030$30,097
75th percentile$18.22/hr$3,158$37,890$31,536
90th percentile$21.58/hr$3,740$44,880$36,947

Is $36,030 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH?

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$81,120Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.44.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.4%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 Cincinnati, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area was $36,030 in May 2025, about $3,003 a month or $17.32 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $35,170, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN was $17.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.10 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.58.

How many restaurant cooks work in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS estimated 10,810 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.08 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN run from $27,250 at the 10th percentile to $29,200 at the 25th, $37,890 at the 75th, and $44,880 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On a median gross salary of $36,030, an estimated $30,097 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,158 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,933 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On the median annual salary of $36,030, gross monthly income is $3,003. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,508 per month (or $1,158 every two weeks).

Is $36,030 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

At $36,030, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.4% of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN median household income ($81,120). It is 28% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.4, so prices here run 4.6% below the U.S. average.