Columbus, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Columbus, IN metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,740 a year ($14.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 360 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $25,740 and $40,930; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,228 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Columbus, IN at a glance

Median salary

$29,740$14.30 per hour · $2,478 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$25,740$12.38/hr
25th percentile$28,320$13.62/hr
75th percentile$36,380$17.49/hr
90th percentile$40,930$19.68/hr
Jobs in this metro360Location quotient 0.80 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $48,470
Against Indiana15% belowStatewide median $35,170
Against the U.S.20% 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 Columbus, IN after taxes

$29,740
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,740
Net 85%
Fed 5%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,228After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,102Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$970Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,389 / yr
Indiana state income tax$848 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,275 / yr

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

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Columbus, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$12.38/hr$2,145$25,740$22,077
25th percentile$13.62/hr$2,360$28,320$24,126
MedianMedian$14.30/hr$2,478$29,740$25,228
75th percentile$17.49/hr$3,032$36,380$30,368
90th percentile$19.68/hr$3,411$40,930$33,889

Is $29,740 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

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$79,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.07% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.2%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, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Columbus, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Columbus, IN metro area was $29,740 in May 2025, about $2,478 a month or $14.30 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $35,170, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Columbus, IN?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Columbus, IN was $14.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.38 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.68.

How many restaurant cooks work in Columbus, IN?

BLS estimated 360 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.80 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Columbus, IN?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Columbus, IN run from $25,740 at the 10th percentile to $28,320 at the 25th, $36,380 at the 75th, and $40,930 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Columbus, IN?

On a median gross salary of $29,740, an estimated $25,228 lands in net take-home pay per year ($970 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,512 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Columbus, IN?

On the median annual salary of $29,740, gross monthly income is $2,478. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,102 per month (or $970 every two weeks).

Is $29,740 a good salary in Columbus, IN?

At $29,740, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 37.2% of the Columbus, IN median household income ($79,901). It is 39% below the $48,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.0, so prices here run 7% below the U.S. average.