Fargo, ND-MN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Fargo, ND?

In the Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,020 a year ($17.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,560 of these jobs there. That is 27% below the $51,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,900 and $45,620; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Minnesota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,764 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Fargo, ND at a glance

Median salary

$37,020$17.80 per hour · $3,085 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,900$13.90/hr
25th percentile$33,970$16.33/hr
75th percentile$38,680$18.60/hr
90th percentile$45,620$21.94/hr
Jobs in this metro1,560Location quotient 1.16 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here27% belowAll-jobs median $51,050
Against Minnesota4% belowStatewide median $38,590
Against the U.S.1% belowNational median $37,390

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Restaurant cook salary in Fargo, ND after taxes

$37,020
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,020
Net 83%
Fed 6%
MN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,764After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,564Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,183Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,262 / yr
Minnesota state income tax$1,162 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,832 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Fargo, ND, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Fargo, ND-MN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MN)
10th percentile$13.90/hr$2,408$28,900$24,674
25th percentile$16.33/hr$2,831$33,970$28,476
MedianMedian$17.80/hr$3,085$37,020$30,764
75th percentile$18.60/hr$3,223$38,680$32,009
90th percentile$21.94/hr$3,802$45,620$37,214

Is $37,020 a good salary in Fargo, ND?

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$76,756Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.99.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.2%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 Fargo, ND: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Fargo, ND-MN?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Fargo, ND-MN metro area was $37,020 in May 2025, about $3,085 a month or $17.80 an hour. Statewide, the Minnesota median for this job is $38,590, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Fargo, ND-MN?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Fargo, ND-MN was $17.80 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.90 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.94.

How many restaurant cooks work in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS estimated 1,560 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.16 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Fargo, ND-MN run from $28,900 at the 10th percentile to $33,970 at the 25th, $38,680 at the 75th, and $45,620 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Fargo, ND-MN?

On a median gross salary of $37,020, an estimated $30,764 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,183 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Minnesota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,256 (an effective rate of 16.9%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Fargo, ND-MN?

On the median annual salary of $37,020, gross monthly income is $3,085. After federal, FICA, and Minnesota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,564 per month (or $1,183 every two weeks).

Is $37,020 a good salary in Fargo, ND-MN?

At $37,020, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 48.2% of the Fargo, ND-MN median household income ($76,756). It is 27% below the $51,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.9, so prices here run 9.1% below the U.S. average.