Goldsboro, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Goldsboro, NC?

In the Goldsboro, NC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $32,420 a year ($15.59 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 420 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $40,570 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,800 and $37,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,445 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Goldsboro, NC at a glance

Median salary

$32,420$15.59 per hour · $2,702 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,800$12.89/hr
25th percentile$27,370$13.16/hr
75th percentile$35,000$16.83/hr
90th percentile$37,580$18.07/hr
Jobs in this metro420Location quotient 1.14 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $40,570
Against North Carolina8% belowStatewide median $35,400
Against the U.S.13% 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 Goldsboro, NC after taxes

$32,420
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$32,420
Net 85%
Fed 5%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,445After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,287Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,056Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,710 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$785 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,480 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Goldsboro, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Goldsboro, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$12.89/hr$2,233$26,800$23,119
25th percentile$13.16/hr$2,281$27,370$23,566
MedianMedian$15.59/hr$2,702$32,420$27,445
75th percentile$16.83/hr$2,917$35,000$29,415
90th percentile$18.07/hr$3,132$37,580$31,385

Is $32,420 a good salary in Goldsboro, NC?

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$59,733Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.511.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household54.3%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 Goldsboro, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Goldsboro, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Goldsboro, NC metro area was $32,420 in May 2025, about $2,702 a month or $15.59 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $35,400, so the metro pays 8% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Goldsboro, NC?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Goldsboro, NC was $15.59 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.89 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.07.

How many restaurant cooks work in Goldsboro, NC?

BLS estimated 420 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.14 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Goldsboro, NC?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Goldsboro, NC run from $26,800 at the 10th percentile to $27,370 at the 25th, $35,000 at the 75th, and $37,580 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Goldsboro, NC?

On a median gross salary of $32,420, an estimated $27,445 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,056 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,975 (an effective rate of 15.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Goldsboro, NC?

On the median annual salary of $32,420, gross monthly income is $2,702. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,287 per month (or $1,056 every two weeks).

Is $32,420 a good salary in Goldsboro, NC?

At $32,420, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 54.3% of the Goldsboro, NC median household income ($59,733). It is 20% below the $40,570 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.5, so prices here run 11.5% below the U.S. average.