Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,520 a year ($17.56 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,510 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,530 and $47,620; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,403 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA at a glance

Median salary

$36,520$17.56 per hour · $3,043 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,530$12.76/hr
25th percentile$30,220$14.53/hr
75th percentile$42,450$20.41/hr
90th percentile$47,620$22.89/hr
Jobs in this metro2,510Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $49,610
Against Pennsylvaniaabout the same asStatewide median $36,580
Against the U.S.2% belowNational median $37,390

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Restaurant cook salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA after taxes

$36,520
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,520
Net 83%
Fed 6%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,403After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,534Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,169Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,202 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$1,121 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,794 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$12.76/hr$2,211$26,530$22,643
25th percentile$14.53/hr$2,518$30,220$25,534
MedianMedian$17.56/hr$3,043$36,520$30,403
75th percentile$20.41/hr$3,538$42,450$34,985
90th percentile$22.89/hr$3,968$47,620$38,981

Is $36,520 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

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$80,919Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.71.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.1%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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area was $36,520 in May 2025, about $3,043 a month or $17.56 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $36,580, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA was $17.56 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.76 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.89.

How many restaurant cooks work in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS estimated 2,510 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA run from $26,530 at the 10th percentile to $30,220 at the 25th, $42,450 at the 75th, and $47,620 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On a median gross salary of $36,520, an estimated $30,403 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,169 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,117 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

On the median annual salary of $36,520, gross monthly income is $3,043. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,534 per month (or $1,169 every two weeks).

Is $36,520 a good salary in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA?

At $36,520, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 45.1% of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA median household income ($80,919). It is 26% below the $49,610 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.7, so prices here run 1.3% below the U.S. average.