Elizabethtown, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Elizabethtown, KY?

In the Elizabethtown, KY metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $30,120 a year ($14.48 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 370 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $46,810 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,470 and $37,270; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,445 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Elizabethtown, KY at a glance

Median salary

$30,120$14.48 per hour · $2,510 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,470$11.28/hr
25th percentile$28,050$13.49/hr
75th percentile$35,720$17.18/hr
90th percentile$37,270$17.92/hr
Jobs in this metro370Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $46,810
Against Kentucky13% belowStatewide median $34,640
Against the U.S.19% belowNational median $37,390

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Restaurant cook salary in Elizabethtown, KY after taxes

$30,120
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,120
Net 84%
Fed 5%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,445After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,120Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$979Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,434 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$937 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,304 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Elizabethtown, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Elizabethtown, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$11.28/hr$1,956$23,470$20,234
25th percentile$13.49/hr$2,338$28,050$23,845
MedianMedian$14.48/hr$2,510$30,120$25,445
75th percentile$17.18/hr$2,977$35,720$29,748
90th percentile$17.92/hr$3,106$37,270$30,940

Is $30,120 a good salary in Elizabethtown, KY?

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$67,534Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.69.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.6%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 Elizabethtown, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Elizabethtown, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Elizabethtown, KY metro area was $30,120 in May 2025, about $2,510 a month or $14.48 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $34,640, so the metro pays 13% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Elizabethtown, KY?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Elizabethtown, KY was $14.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.92.

How many restaurant cooks work in Elizabethtown, KY?

BLS estimated 370 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.78 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Elizabethtown, KY?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Elizabethtown, KY run from $23,470 at the 10th percentile to $28,050 at the 25th, $35,720 at the 75th, and $37,270 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Elizabethtown, KY?

On a median gross salary of $30,120, an estimated $25,445 lands in net take-home pay per year ($979 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,675 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Elizabethtown, KY?

On the median annual salary of $30,120, gross monthly income is $2,510. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,120 per month (or $979 every two weeks).

Is $30,120 a good salary in Elizabethtown, KY?

At $30,120, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.6% of the Elizabethtown, KY median household income ($67,534). It is 36% below the $46,810 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.6, so prices here run 9.4% below the U.S. average.