Hot Springs, AR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Hot Springs, AR?

In the Hot Springs, AR metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,260 a year ($14.07 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 690 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $36,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,610 and $35,810; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arkansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,095 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Hot Springs, AR at a glance

Median salary

$29,260$14.07 per hour · $2,438 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,610$11.35/hr
25th percentile$28,030$13.48/hr
75th percentile$34,790$16.73/hr
90th percentile$35,810$17.22/hr
Jobs in this metro690Location quotient 1.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $36,540
Against Arkansas3% belowStatewide median $30,180
Against the U.S.22% 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 Hot Springs, AR after taxes

$29,260
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,260
Net 86%
Fed 5%
AR 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,095After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,091Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$965Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,331 / yr
Arkansas state income tax$596 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,238 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Hot Springs, AR, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Hot Springs, AR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AR)
10th percentile$11.35/hr$1,968$23,610$20,651
25th percentile$13.48/hr$2,336$28,030$24,141
MedianMedian$14.07/hr$2,438$29,260$25,095
75th percentile$16.73/hr$2,899$34,790$29,322
90th percentile$17.22/hr$2,984$35,810$30,102

Is $29,260 a good salary in Hot Springs, 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$57,181Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.714.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.2%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 Hot Springs, AR: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Hot Springs, AR?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Hot Springs, AR metro area was $29,260 in May 2025, about $2,438 a month or $14.07 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 Hot Springs, AR?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Hot Springs, AR was $14.07 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.35 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.22.

How many restaurant cooks work in Hot Springs, AR?

BLS estimated 690 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 17.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.96 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Hot Springs, AR?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Hot Springs, AR run from $23,610 at the 10th percentile to $28,030 at the 25th, $34,790 at the 75th, and $35,810 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Hot Springs, AR?

On a median gross salary of $29,260, an estimated $25,095 lands in net take-home pay per year ($965 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arkansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,165 (an effective rate of 14.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Hot Springs, AR?

On the median annual salary of $29,260, gross monthly income is $2,438. After federal, FICA, and Arkansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,091 per month (or $965 every two weeks).

Is $29,260 a good salary in Hot Springs, AR?

At $29,260, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51.2% of the Hot Springs, AR median household income ($57,181). It is 20% below the $36,540 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.7, so prices here run 14.3% below the U.S. average.