Dover, DE metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Dover, DE?

In the Dover, DE metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,570 a year ($17.10 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 590 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $46,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $44,560; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,463 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Dover, DE at a glance

Median salary

$35,570$17.10 per hour · $2,964 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$37,530$18.05/hr
90th percentile$44,560$21.42/hr
Jobs in this metro590Location quotient 0.95 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $46,690
Against Delaware6% belowStatewide median $37,840
Against the U.S.5% 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 Dover, DE after taxes

$35,570
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,570
Net 83%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,463After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,455Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,133Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,088 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,297 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,721 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Dover, DE, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Dover, DE metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,194
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$26,194
MedianMedian$17.10/hr$2,964$35,570$29,463
75th percentile$18.05/hr$3,128$37,530$30,929
90th percentile$21.42/hr$3,713$44,560$36,188

Is $35,570 a good salary in Dover, DE?

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$74,477Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.52.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.8%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 Dover, DE: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Dover, DE?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Dover, DE metro area was $35,570 in May 2025, about $2,964 a month or $17.10 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $37,840, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Dover, DE?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Dover, DE was $17.10 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.42.

How many restaurant cooks work in Dover, DE?

BLS estimated 590 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.95 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Dover, DE?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Dover, DE run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $37,530 at the 75th, and $44,560 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Dover, DE?

On a median gross salary of $35,570, an estimated $29,463 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,133 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,107 (an effective rate of 17.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Dover, DE?

On the median annual salary of $35,570, gross monthly income is $2,964. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,455 per month (or $1,133 every two weeks).

Is $35,570 a good salary in Dover, DE?

At $35,570, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 47.8% of the Dover, DE median household income ($74,477). It is 24% below the $46,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.5, so prices here run 2.5% below the U.S. average.