Flagstaff, AZ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Flagstaff, AZ?

In the Flagstaff, AZ metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $38,760 a year ($18.63 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,230 of these jobs there. That is 18% below the $47,500 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,310 and $46,370; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arizona tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,748 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Flagstaff, AZ at a glance

Median salary

$38,760$18.63 per hour · $3,230 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,310$16.49/hr
25th percentile$36,620$17.61/hr
75th percentile$43,990$21.15/hr
90th percentile$46,370$22.29/hr
Jobs in this metro1,230Location quotient 2.04 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here18% belowAll-jobs median $47,500
Against Arizonaabout the same asStatewide median $38,670
Against the U.S.4% aboveNational 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 Flagstaff, AZ after taxes

$38,760
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,760
Net 84%
Fed 6%
AZ 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,748After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,729Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,260Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,471 / yr
Arizona state income tax$575 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,965 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Flagstaff, AZ, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Flagstaff, AZ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AZ)
10th percentile$16.49/hr$2,859$34,310$29,284
25th percentile$17.61/hr$3,052$36,620$31,082
MedianMedian$18.63/hr$3,230$38,760$32,748
75th percentile$21.15/hr$3,666$43,990$36,820
90th percentile$22.29/hr$3,864$46,370$38,673

Is $38,760 a good salary in Flagstaff, AZ?

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$72,966Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.30.3% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.1%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 Flagstaff, AZ: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Flagstaff, AZ?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Flagstaff, AZ metro area was $38,760 in May 2025, about $3,230 a month or $18.63 an hour. Statewide, the Arizona median for this job is $38,670, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Flagstaff, AZ?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Flagstaff, AZ was $18.63 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.29.

How many restaurant cooks work in Flagstaff, AZ?

BLS estimated 1,230 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 18.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.04 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Flagstaff, AZ?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Flagstaff, AZ run from $34,310 at the 10th percentile to $36,620 at the 25th, $43,990 at the 75th, and $46,370 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Flagstaff, AZ?

On a median gross salary of $38,760, an estimated $32,748 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,260 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arizona in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,012 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Flagstaff, AZ?

On the median annual salary of $38,760, gross monthly income is $3,230. After federal, FICA, and Arizona state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,729 per month (or $1,260 every two weeks).

Is $38,760 a good salary in Flagstaff, AZ?

At $38,760, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 53.1% of the Flagstaff, AZ median household income ($72,966). It is 18% below the $47,500 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.3, so prices here run 0.3% above the U.S. average.