Columbus, GA-AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Columbus, GA?

In the Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $30,470 a year ($14.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,130 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $43,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,000 and $37,310; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,467 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Columbus, GA at a glance

Median salary

$30,470$14.65 per hour · $2,539 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,000$11.06/hr
25th percentile$27,590$13.27/hr
75th percentile$34,490$16.58/hr
90th percentile$37,310$17.94/hr
Jobs in this metro1,130Location quotient 1.08 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $43,540
Against Alabama5% belowStatewide median $32,180
Against the U.S.19% 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 Columbus, GA after taxes

$30,470
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,470
Net 84%
Fed 5%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,467After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,122Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$979Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,476 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,196 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,331 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Columbus, GA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Columbus, GA-AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$11.06/hr$1,917$23,000$19,700
25th percentile$13.27/hr$2,299$27,590$23,268
MedianMedian$14.65/hr$2,539$30,470$25,467
75th percentile$16.58/hr$2,874$34,490$28,510
90th percentile$17.94/hr$3,109$37,310$30,648

Is $30,470 a good salary in Columbus, GA?

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$59,336Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.310.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.4%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 Columbus, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Columbus, GA-AL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Columbus, GA-AL metro area was $30,470 in May 2025, about $2,539 a month or $14.65 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $32,180, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Columbus, GA-AL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Columbus, GA-AL was $14.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.06 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.94.

How many restaurant cooks work in Columbus, GA-AL?

BLS estimated 1,130 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 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 Columbus, GA-AL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Columbus, GA-AL run from $23,000 at the 10th percentile to $27,590 at the 25th, $34,490 at the 75th, and $37,310 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Columbus, GA-AL?

On a median gross salary of $30,470, an estimated $25,467 lands in net take-home pay per year ($979 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,003 (an effective rate of 16.4%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Columbus, GA-AL?

On the median annual salary of $30,470, gross monthly income is $2,539. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,122 per month (or $979 every two weeks).

Is $30,470 a good salary in Columbus, GA-AL?

At $30,470, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51.4% of the Columbus, GA-AL median household income ($59,336). It is 30% below the $43,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.3, so prices here run 10.7% below the U.S. average.