Dubuque, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Dubuque, IA?

In the Dubuque, IA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,610 a year ($17.12 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 440 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $48,750 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,090 and $44,180; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,091 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Dubuque, IA at a glance

Median salary

$35,610$17.12 per hour · $2,968 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,090$13.99/hr
25th percentile$30,910$14.86/hr
75th percentile$38,790$18.65/hr
90th percentile$44,180$21.24/hr
Jobs in this metro440Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $48,750
Against Iowaabout the same asStatewide median $35,670
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 Dubuque, IA after taxes

$35,610
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,610
Net 85%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,091After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,508Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,157Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,093 / yr
Iowa state income tax$701 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,724 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Dubuque, IA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Dubuque, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$13.99/hr$2,424$29,090$25,100
25th percentile$14.86/hr$2,576$30,910$26,493
MedianMedian$17.12/hr$2,968$35,610$30,091
75th percentile$18.65/hr$3,233$38,790$32,526
90th percentile$21.24/hr$3,682$44,180$36,652

Is $35,610 a good salary in Dubuque, IA?

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$77,630Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.312.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.9%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 Dubuque, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Dubuque, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Dubuque, IA metro area was $35,610 in May 2025, about $2,968 a month or $17.12 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $35,670, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Dubuque, IA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Dubuque, IA was $17.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.99 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.24.

How many restaurant cooks work in Dubuque, IA?

BLS estimated 440 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Dubuque, IA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Dubuque, IA run from $29,090 at the 10th percentile to $30,910 at the 25th, $38,790 at the 75th, and $44,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Dubuque, IA?

On a median gross salary of $35,610, an estimated $30,091 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,157 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,519 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Dubuque, IA?

On the median annual salary of $35,610, gross monthly income is $2,968. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,508 per month (or $1,157 every two weeks).

Is $35,610 a good salary in Dubuque, IA?

At $35,610, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 45.9% of the Dubuque, IA median household income ($77,630). It is 27% below the $48,750 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.3, so prices here run 12.7% below the U.S. average.