Jackson, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Jackson, TN?

In the Jackson, TN metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,490 a year ($17.06 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 490 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $44,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,450 and $43,590; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,696 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Jackson, TN at a glance

Median salary

$35,490$17.06 per hour · $2,958 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,450$13.20/hr
25th percentile$29,520$14.19/hr
75th percentile$37,900$18.22/hr
90th percentile$43,590$20.96/hr
Jobs in this metro490Location quotient 0.64 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $44,790
Against Tennessee3% belowStatewide median $36,420
Against the U.S.5% 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 Jackson, TN after taxes

$35,490
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,490
Net 86%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,696After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,558Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,181Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,079 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,715 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Jackson, TN, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Jackson, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$13.20/hr$2,288$27,450$24,215
25th percentile$14.19/hr$2,460$29,520$25,899
MedianMedian$17.06/hr$2,958$35,490$30,696
75th percentile$18.22/hr$3,158$37,900$32,633
90th percentile$20.96/hr$3,633$43,590$37,205

Is $35,490 a good salary in Jackson, TN?

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$61,177Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.514.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household58%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 Jackson, TN: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Jackson, TN?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Jackson, TN metro area was $35,490 in May 2025, about $2,958 a month or $17.06 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $36,420, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Jackson, TN?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Jackson, TN was $17.06 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.20 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.96.

How many restaurant cooks work in Jackson, TN?

BLS estimated 490 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 5.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.64 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Jackson, TN?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Jackson, TN run from $27,450 at the 10th percentile to $29,520 at the 25th, $37,900 at the 75th, and $43,590 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Jackson, TN?

On a median gross salary of $35,490, an estimated $30,696 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,181 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,794 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Jackson, TN?

On the median annual salary of $35,490, gross monthly income is $2,958. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,558 per month (or $1,181 every two weeks).

Is $35,490 a good salary in Jackson, TN?

At $35,490, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 58% of the Jackson, TN median household income ($61,177). It is 21% below the $44,790 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.5, so prices here run 14.5% below the U.S. average.