Huntsville, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Huntsville, AL?

In the Huntsville, AL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,520 a year ($17.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,800 of these jobs there. That is 31% below the $51,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,610 and $44,660; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,288 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Huntsville, AL at a glance

Median salary

$35,520$17.08 per hour · $2,960 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,610$13.28/hr
25th percentile$30,650$14.74/hr
75th percentile$37,400$17.98/hr
90th percentile$44,660$21.47/hr
Jobs in this metro1,800Location quotient 0.74 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here31% belowAll-jobs median $51,740
Against Alabama10% aboveStatewide median $32,180
Against the U.S.5% 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 Huntsville, AL after taxes

$35,520
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,520
Net 82%
Fed 6%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,288After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,441Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,126Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,082 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,432 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,717 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Huntsville, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Huntsville, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$13.28/hr$2,301$27,610$23,284
25th percentile$14.74/hr$2,554$30,650$25,602
MedianMedian$17.08/hr$2,960$35,520$29,288
75th percentile$17.98/hr$3,117$37,400$30,716
90th percentile$21.47/hr$3,722$44,660$36,230

Is $35,520 a good salary in Huntsville, AL?

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$85,989Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.16.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.3%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 Huntsville, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Huntsville, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Huntsville, AL metro area was $35,520 in May 2025, about $2,960 a month or $17.08 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $32,180, so the metro pays 10% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Huntsville, AL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Huntsville, AL was $17.08 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.28 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.47.

How many restaurant cooks work in Huntsville, AL?

BLS estimated 1,800 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 6.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.74 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Huntsville, AL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Huntsville, AL run from $27,610 at the 10th percentile to $30,650 at the 25th, $37,400 at the 75th, and $44,660 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Huntsville, AL?

On a median gross salary of $35,520, an estimated $29,288 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,126 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,232 (an effective rate of 17.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Huntsville, AL?

On the median annual salary of $35,520, gross monthly income is $2,960. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,441 per month (or $1,126 every two weeks).

Is $35,520 a good salary in Huntsville, AL?

At $35,520, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 41.3% of the Huntsville, AL median household income ($85,989). It is 31% below the $51,740 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.1, so prices here run 6.9% below the U.S. average.