Eau Claire, WI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Eau Claire, WI?

In the Eau Claire, WI metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,780 a year ($17.20 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 790 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $48,100 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,220 and $44,470; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Wisconsin tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,053 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Eau Claire, WI at a glance

Median salary

$35,780$17.20 per hour · $2,982 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,220$12.61/hr
25th percentile$30,340$14.59/hr
75th percentile$37,510$18.03/hr
90th percentile$44,470$21.38/hr
Jobs in this metro790Location quotient 1.02 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $48,100
Against Wisconsin2% belowStatewide median $36,550
Against the U.S.4% 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 Eau Claire, WI after taxes

$35,780
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,780
Net 84%
Fed 6%
WI 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,053After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,504Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,156Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,114 / yr
Wisconsin state income tax$876 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,737 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Eau Claire, WI, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Eau Claire, WI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WI)
10th percentile$12.61/hr$2,185$26,220$22,772
25th percentile$14.59/hr$2,528$30,340$25,950
MedianMedian$17.20/hr$2,982$35,780$30,053
75th percentile$18.03/hr$3,126$37,510$31,358
90th percentile$21.38/hr$3,706$44,470$36,607

Is $35,780 a good salary in Eau Claire, WI?

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$74,595Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.87.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48%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 Eau Claire, WI: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Eau Claire, WI?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Eau Claire, WI metro area was $35,780 in May 2025, about $2,982 a month or $17.20 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $36,550, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Eau Claire, WI?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Eau Claire, WI was $17.20 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.38.

How many restaurant cooks work in Eau Claire, WI?

BLS estimated 790 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.2 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 Eau Claire, WI?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Eau Claire, WI run from $26,220 at the 10th percentile to $30,340 at the 25th, $37,510 at the 75th, and $44,470 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Eau Claire, WI?

On a median gross salary of $35,780, an estimated $30,053 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,156 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,727 (an effective rate of 16%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Eau Claire, WI?

On the median annual salary of $35,780, gross monthly income is $2,982. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,504 per month (or $1,156 every two weeks).

Is $35,780 a good salary in Eau Claire, WI?

At $35,780, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 48% of the Eau Claire, WI median household income ($74,595). It is 26% below the $48,100 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.8, so prices here run 7.2% below the U.S. average.