Johnson City, TN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Johnson City, TN?

In the Johnson City, TN metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $34,620 a year ($16.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 780 of these jobs there. That is 20% below the $43,480 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $26,920 and $42,790; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Tennessee tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,997 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Johnson City, TN at a glance

Median salary

$34,620$16.65 per hour · $2,885 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$26,920$12.94/hr
25th percentile$28,610$13.76/hr
75th percentile$36,610$17.60/hr
90th percentile$42,790$20.57/hr
Jobs in this metro780Location quotient 1.06 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here20% belowAll-jobs median $43,480
Against Tennessee5% belowStatewide median $36,420
Against the U.S.7% 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 Johnson City, TN after taxes

$34,620
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,620
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,997After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,500Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,154Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,974 / yr
Tennessee state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,648 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Johnson City, TN, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Johnson City, TN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TN)
10th percentile$12.94/hr$2,243$26,920$23,779
25th percentile$13.76/hr$2,384$28,610$25,168
MedianMedian$16.65/hr$2,885$34,620$29,997
75th percentile$17.60/hr$3,051$36,610$31,596
90th percentile$20.57/hr$3,566$42,790$36,562

Is $34,620 a good salary in Johnson City, 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$57,762Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.912.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59.9%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 Johnson City, TN: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Johnson City, TN metro area was $34,620 in May 2025, about $2,885 a month or $16.65 an hour. Statewide, the Tennessee median for this job is $36,420, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Johnson City, TN was $16.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.94 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.57.

How many restaurant cooks work in Johnson City, TN?

BLS estimated 780 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.06 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

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

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Johnson City, TN run from $26,920 at the 10th percentile to $28,610 at the 25th, $36,610 at the 75th, and $42,790 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

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

On a median gross salary of $34,620, an estimated $29,997 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,154 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Tennessee in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,623 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

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

On the median annual salary of $34,620, gross monthly income is $2,885. After federal, FICA, and Tennessee state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,500 per month (or $1,154 every two weeks).

Is $34,620 a good salary in Johnson City, TN?

At $34,620, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 59.9% of the Johnson City, TN median household income ($57,762). It is 20% below the $43,480 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.9, so prices here run 12.1% below the U.S. average.