Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Fort Smith, AR?

In the Fort Smith, AR-OK metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,370 a year ($14.12 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 850 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,140 and $36,200; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,179 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Fort Smith, AR at a glance

Median salary

$29,370$14.12 per hour · $2,448 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,140$11.61/hr
25th percentile$28,140$13.53/hr
75th percentile$34,320$16.50/hr
90th percentile$36,200$17.41/hr
Jobs in this metro850Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $39,560
Against Arkansas3% belowStatewide median $30,180
Against the U.S.21% 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 Fort Smith, AR after taxes

$29,370
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,370
Net 86%
Fed 5%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,179After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,098Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$968Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,344 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$600 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,247 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Fort Smith, AR, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$11.61/hr$2,012$24,140$21,069
25th percentile$13.53/hr$2,345$28,140$24,227
MedianMedian$14.12/hr$2,448$29,370$25,179
75th percentile$16.50/hr$2,860$34,320$28,963
90th percentile$17.41/hr$3,017$36,200$30,400

Is $29,370 a good salary in Fort Smith, 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$58,468Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.914.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.2%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 Fort Smith, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area was $29,370 in May 2025, about $2,448 a month or $14.12 an hour. Statewide, the Arkansas median for this job is $30,180, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Fort Smith, AR-OK was $14.12 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.61 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.41.

How many restaurant cooks work in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS estimated 850 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Fort Smith, AR-OK run from $24,140 at the 10th percentile to $28,140 at the 25th, $34,320 at the 75th, and $36,200 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On a median gross salary of $29,370, an estimated $25,179 lands in net take-home pay per year ($968 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,191 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

On the median annual salary of $29,370, gross monthly income is $2,448. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,098 per month (or $968 every two weeks).

Is $29,370 a good salary in Fort Smith, AR-OK?

At $29,370, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50.2% of the Fort Smith, AR-OK median household income ($58,468). It is 26% below the $39,560 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.9, so prices here run 14.1% below the U.S. average.