Dalton, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Dalton, GA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $31,060 a year ($14.94 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 410 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $42,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,600 and $37,190; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,335 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Dalton, GA at a glance

Median salary

$31,060$14.94 per hour · $2,588 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,600$10.86/hr
25th percentile$28,220$13.57/hr
75th percentile$34,520$16.60/hr
90th percentile$37,190$17.88/hr
Jobs in this metro410Location quotient 0.69 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $42,210
Against Georgia14% belowStatewide median $35,940
Against the U.S.17% 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 Dalton, GA after taxes

$31,060
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,060
Net 85%
Fed 5%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,335After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,195Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,013Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,547 / yr
Georgia state income tax$801 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,376 / yr

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

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Dalton, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$10.86/hr$1,883$22,600$19,842
25th percentile$13.57/hr$2,352$28,220$24,189
MedianMedian$14.94/hr$2,588$31,060$26,335
75th percentile$16.60/hr$2,877$34,520$28,943
90th percentile$17.88/hr$3,099$37,190$30,955

Is $31,060 a good salary in Dalton, 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$67,846Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.810.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.8%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 Dalton, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Dalton, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Dalton, GA metro area was $31,060 in May 2025, about $2,588 a month or $14.94 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 14% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Dalton, GA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Dalton, GA was $14.94 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.88.

How many restaurant cooks work in Dalton, GA?

BLS estimated 410 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 6.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.69 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Dalton, GA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Dalton, GA run from $22,600 at the 10th percentile to $28,220 at the 25th, $34,520 at the 75th, and $37,190 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Dalton, GA?

On a median gross salary of $31,060, an estimated $26,335 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,013 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,725 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Dalton, GA?

On the median annual salary of $31,060, gross monthly income is $2,588. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,195 per month (or $1,013 every two weeks).

Is $31,060 a good salary in Dalton, GA?

At $31,060, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 45.8% of the Dalton, GA median household income ($67,846). It is 26% below the $42,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.8, so prices here run 10.2% below the U.S. average.