Cleveland, OH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Cleveland, OH metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,060 a year ($17.82 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 8,190 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $50,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,790 and $45,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Ohio tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,389 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Cleveland, OH at a glance

Median salary

$37,060$17.82 per hour · $3,088 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,790$13.36/hr
25th percentile$31,840$15.31/hr
75th percentile$42,170$20.28/hr
90th percentile$45,580$21.92/hr
Jobs in this metro8,190Location quotient 0.88 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $50,140
Against Ohio4% aboveStatewide median $35,540
Against the U.S.1% 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 Cleveland, OH after taxes

$37,060
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,060
Net 85%
Fed 6%
OH 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,389After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,616Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,207Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,267 / yr
Ohio state income tax$569 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,835 / yr

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

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Cleveland, OH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OH)
10th percentile$13.36/hr$2,316$27,790$24,495
25th percentile$15.31/hr$2,653$31,840$27,338
MedianMedian$17.82/hr$3,088$37,060$31,389
75th percentile$20.28/hr$3,514$42,170$35,347
90th percentile$21.92/hr$3,798$45,580$37,994

Is $37,060 a good salary in Cleveland, 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$70,678Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.96.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.4%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 Cleveland, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Cleveland, OH?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Cleveland, OH metro area was $37,060 in May 2025, about $3,088 a month or $17.82 an hour. Statewide, the Ohio median for this job is $35,540, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Cleveland, OH?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Cleveland, OH was $17.82 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.92.

How many restaurant cooks work in Cleveland, OH?

BLS estimated 8,190 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Cleveland, OH?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Cleveland, OH run from $27,790 at the 10th percentile to $31,840 at the 25th, $42,170 at the 75th, and $45,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Cleveland, OH?

On a median gross salary of $37,060, an estimated $31,389 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,207 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Ohio in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,671 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Cleveland, OH?

On the median annual salary of $37,060, gross monthly income is $3,088. After federal, FICA, and Ohio state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,616 per month (or $1,207 every two weeks).

Is $37,060 a good salary in Cleveland, OH?

At $37,060, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 52.4% of the Cleveland, OH median household income ($70,678). It is 26% below the $50,140 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.9, so prices here run 6.1% below the U.S. average.