Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

In the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $49,560 a year ($23.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,770 of these jobs there. That is 14% below the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $38,470 and $74,350; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Hawaii tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $40,009 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Kahului-Wailuku, HI at a glance

Median salary

$49,560$23.83 per hour · $4,130 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$38,470$18.50/hr
25th percentile$44,880$21.58/hr
75th percentile$63,230$30.40/hr
90th percentile$74,350$35.74/hr
Jobs in this metro1,770Location quotient 2.65 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here14% belowAll-jobs median $57,640
Against Hawaii9% aboveStatewide median $45,420
Against the U.S.33% aboveNational 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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI after taxes

$49,560
$15,000$100,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$49,560
Net 81%
Fed 8%
HI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$40,009After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,334Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,539Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,767 / yr
Hawaii state income tax$1,993 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,791 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Kahului-Wailuku, HI, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (HI)
10th percentile$18.50/hr$3,206$38,470$31,869
25th percentile$21.58/hr$3,740$44,880$36,584
MedianMedian$23.83/hr$4,130$49,560$40,009
75th percentile$30.40/hr$5,269$63,230$49,984
90th percentile$35.74/hr$6,196$74,350$57,289

Is $49,560 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

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$97,109Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)109.49.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household51%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 Kahului-Wailuku, HI: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area was $49,560 in May 2025, about $4,130 a month or $23.83 an hour. Statewide, the Hawaii median for this job is $45,420, so the metro pays 9% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Kahului-Wailuku, HI was $23.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.50 an hour and one in ten earned more than $35.74.

How many restaurant cooks work in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS estimated 1,770 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 24.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 2.65 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Kahului-Wailuku, HI run from $38,470 at the 10th percentile to $44,880 at the 25th, $63,230 at the 75th, and $74,350 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On a median gross salary of $49,560, an estimated $40,009 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,539 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Hawaii in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,551 (an effective rate of 19.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

On the median annual salary of $49,560, gross monthly income is $4,130. After federal, FICA, and Hawaii state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,334 per month (or $1,539 every two weeks).

Is $49,560 a good salary in Kahului-Wailuku, HI?

At $49,560, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51% of the Kahului-Wailuku, HI median household income ($97,109). It is 14% below the $57,640 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 109.4, so prices here run 9.4% above the U.S. average.