Dothan, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Dothan, AL?

In the Dothan, AL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,710 a year ($14.29 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 560 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $38,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,990 and $36,850; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,891 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Dothan, AL at a glance

Median salary

$29,710$14.29 per hour · $2,476 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,990$11.05/hr
25th percentile$27,700$13.32/hr
75th percentile$34,800$16.73/hr
90th percentile$36,850$17.72/hr
Jobs in this metro560Location quotient 1.02 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $38,170
Against Alabama8% belowStatewide median $32,180
Against the U.S.21% 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 Dothan, AL after taxes

$29,710
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,710
Net 84%
Fed 5%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,891After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,074Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$957Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,385 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,161 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,273 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Dothan, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Dothan, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$11.05/hr$1,916$22,990$19,692
25th percentile$13.32/hr$2,308$27,700$23,354
MedianMedian$14.29/hr$2,476$29,710$24,891
75th percentile$16.73/hr$2,900$34,800$28,744
90th percentile$17.72/hr$3,071$36,850$30,299

Is $29,710 a good salary in Dothan, AL?

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$57,791Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)83.816.2% 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 Dothan, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Dothan, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Dothan, AL metro area was $29,710 in May 2025, about $2,476 a month or $14.29 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $32,180, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Dothan, AL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Dothan, AL was $14.29 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.05 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.72.

How many restaurant cooks work in Dothan, AL?

BLS estimated 560 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.02 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Dothan, AL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Dothan, AL run from $22,990 at the 10th percentile to $27,700 at the 25th, $34,800 at the 75th, and $36,850 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Dothan, AL?

On a median gross salary of $29,710, an estimated $24,891 lands in net take-home pay per year ($957 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,819 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Dothan, AL?

On the median annual salary of $29,710, gross monthly income is $2,476. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,074 per month (or $957 every two weeks).

Is $29,710 a good salary in Dothan, AL?

At $29,710, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51.4% of the Dothan, AL median household income ($57,791). It is 22% below the $38,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 83.8, so prices here run 16.2% below the U.S. average.