Jacksonville, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Jacksonville, NC metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,580 a year ($14.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 730 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $40,230 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,930 and $37,450; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,276 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Jacksonville, NC at a glance

Median salary

$29,580$14.22 per hour · $2,465 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,930$11.51/hr
25th percentile$27,140$13.05/hr
75th percentile$34,630$16.65/hr
90th percentile$37,450$18.01/hr
Jobs in this metro730Location quotient 1.54 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $40,230
Against North Carolina16% belowStatewide median $35,400
Against the U.S.21% 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 Jacksonville, NC after taxes

$29,580
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,580
Net 85%
Fed 5%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,276After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,106Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$972Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,370 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$672 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,263 / yr

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

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Jacksonville, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$11.51/hr$1,994$23,930$20,870
25th percentile$13.05/hr$2,262$27,140$23,386
MedianMedian$14.22/hr$2,465$29,580$25,276
75th percentile$16.65/hr$2,886$34,630$29,132
90th percentile$18.01/hr$3,121$37,450$31,286

Is $29,580 a good salary in Jacksonville, 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$68,148Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.17.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.4%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 Jacksonville, NC: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Jacksonville, NC metro area was $29,580 in May 2025, about $2,465 a month or $14.22 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $35,400, so the metro pays 16% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Jacksonville, NC was $14.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.51 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.01.

How many restaurant cooks work in Jacksonville, NC?

BLS estimated 730 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 14.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.54 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Jacksonville, NC run from $23,930 at the 10th percentile to $27,140 at the 25th, $34,630 at the 75th, and $37,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $29,580, an estimated $25,276 lands in net take-home pay per year ($972 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,304 (an effective rate of 14.6%).

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

On the median annual salary of $29,580, gross monthly income is $2,465. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,106 per month (or $972 every two weeks).

Is $29,580 a good salary in Jacksonville, NC?

At $29,580, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 43.4% of the Jacksonville, NC median household income ($68,148). It is 26% below the $40,230 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.1, so prices here run 7.9% below the U.S. average.