Erie, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Erie, PA?

In the Erie, PA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $33,550 a year ($16.13 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,330 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $44,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,290 and $39,510; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,107 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Erie, PA at a glance

Median salary

$33,550$16.13 per hour · $2,796 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,290$10.72/hr
25th percentile$28,850$13.87/hr
75th percentile$36,020$17.32/hr
90th percentile$39,510$19.00/hr
Jobs in this metro1,330Location quotient 1.22 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $44,460
Against Pennsylvania8% belowStatewide median $36,580
Against the U.S.10% 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 Erie, PA after taxes

$33,550
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,550
Net 84%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,107After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,342Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,081Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,846 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,030 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,567 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Erie, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Erie, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$10.72/hr$1,858$22,290$19,282
25th percentile$13.87/hr$2,404$28,850$24,475
MedianMedian$16.13/hr$2,796$33,550$28,107
75th percentile$17.32/hr$3,002$36,020$30,016
90th percentile$19.00/hr$3,293$39,510$32,713

Is $33,550 a good salary in Erie, PA?

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$63,354Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.09% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53%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 Erie, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Erie, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Erie, PA metro area was $33,550 in May 2025, about $2,796 a month or $16.13 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $36,580, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Erie, PA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Erie, PA was $16.13 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.72 an hour and one in ten earned more than $19.00.

How many restaurant cooks work in Erie, PA?

BLS estimated 1,330 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 11.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.22 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Erie, PA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Erie, PA run from $22,290 at the 10th percentile to $28,850 at the 25th, $36,020 at the 75th, and $39,510 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Erie, PA?

On a median gross salary of $33,550, an estimated $28,107 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,081 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,443 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Erie, PA?

On the median annual salary of $33,550, gross monthly income is $2,796. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,342 per month (or $1,081 every two weeks).

Is $33,550 a good salary in Erie, PA?

At $33,550, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 53% of the Erie, PA median household income ($63,354). It is 25% below the $44,460 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.0, so prices here run 9% below the U.S. average.