Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR?

In the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $33,730 a year ($16.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,940 of these jobs there. That is 28% below the $46,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,550 and $38,080; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,512 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR at a glance

Median salary

$33,730$16.22 per hour · $2,811 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,550$13.72/hr
25th percentile$29,220$14.05/hr
75th percentile$36,330$17.47/hr
90th percentile$38,080$18.31/hr
Jobs in this metro2,940Location quotient 1.18 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here28% belowAll-jobs median $46,610
Against Arkansas12% aboveStatewide median $30,180
Against the U.S.10% 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 Fayetteville-Springdale, AR after taxes

$33,730
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$33,730
Net 85%
Fed 6%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,512After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,376Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,097Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,868 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$770 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,580 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$13.72/hr$2,379$28,550$24,550
25th percentile$14.05/hr$2,435$29,220$25,064
MedianMedian$16.22/hr$2,811$33,730$28,512
75th percentile$17.47/hr$3,028$36,330$30,500
90th percentile$18.31/hr$3,173$38,080$31,837

Is $33,730 a good salary in Fayetteville-Springdale, AR?

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$81,650Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.48.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.3%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 Fayetteville-Springdale, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR metro area was $33,730 in May 2025, about $2,811 a month or $16.22 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $30,180, so the metro pays 12% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR was $16.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.72 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.31.

How many restaurant cooks work in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

BLS estimated 2,940 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.18 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR run from $28,550 at the 10th percentile to $29,220 at the 25th, $36,330 at the 75th, and $38,080 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

On a median gross salary of $33,730, an estimated $28,512 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,097 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,218 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

On the median annual salary of $33,730, gross monthly income is $2,811. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,376 per month (or $1,097 every two weeks).

Is $33,730 a good salary in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?

At $33,730, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 41.3% of the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR median household income ($81,650). It is 28% below the $46,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.4, so prices here run 8.6% below the U.S. average.