Restaurant cook pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance
Median salary
$36,170$17.39 per hour · $3,014 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.13/hr | $2,450 | $29,400 | $25,139 |
| 25th percentile | $14.56/hr | $2,524 | $30,290 | $25,818 |
| MedianMedian | $17.39/hr | $3,014 | $36,170 | $30,308 |
| 75th percentile | $18.50/hr | $3,207 | $38,480 | $32,072 |
| 90th percentile | $22.20/hr | $3,848 | $46,170 | $37,944 |
Is $36,170 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.
Restaurant cooks pay in North Carolina and across the U.S.
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.
Restaurant cook pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $36,170 in May 2025, about $3,014 a month or $17.39 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $35,400, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $17.39 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.13 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.20.
How many restaurant cooks work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS estimated 2,660 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.85 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $29,400 at the 10th percentile to $30,290 at the 25th, $38,480 at the 75th, and $46,170 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On a median gross salary of $36,170, an estimated $30,308 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,166 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,862 (an effective rate of 16.2%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On the median annual salary of $36,170, gross monthly income is $3,014. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,526 per month (or $1,166 every two weeks).
Is $36,170 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
At $36,170, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 43.3% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 40% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.6, so prices here run 2.4% below the U.S. average.