Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,490 a year ($17.54 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 34,430 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,020 and $45,280; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,500 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX at a glance

Median salary

$36,490$17.54 per hour · $3,041 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,020$13.47/hr
25th percentile$30,150$14.49/hr
75th percentile$38,920$18.71/hr
90th percentile$45,280$21.77/hr
Jobs in this metro34,430Location quotient 0.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $51,440
Against Texas5% aboveStatewide median $34,760
Against the U.S.2% 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 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX after taxes

$36,490
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,490
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,500After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,625Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,212Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,199 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,791 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$13.47/hr$2,335$28,020$24,684
25th percentile$14.49/hr$2,513$30,150$26,406
MedianMedian$17.54/hr$3,041$36,490$31,500
75th percentile$18.71/hr$3,243$38,920$33,452
90th percentile$21.77/hr$3,773$45,280$38,562

Is $36,490 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX?

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$90,275Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.13.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household40.4%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 Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area was $36,490 in May 2025, about $3,041 a month or $17.54 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $34,760, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX was $17.54 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.47 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.77.

How many restaurant cooks work in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS estimated 34,430 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.94 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX run from $28,020 at the 10th percentile to $30,150 at the 25th, $38,920 at the 75th, and $45,280 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On a median gross salary of $36,490, an estimated $31,500 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,212 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,990 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

On the median annual salary of $36,490, gross monthly income is $3,041. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,625 per month (or $1,212 every two weeks).

Is $36,490 a good salary in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?

At $36,490, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 40.4% of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX median household income ($90,275). It is 29% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.1, so prices here run 3.1% above the U.S. average.