Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

In the Kennewick-Richland, WA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $45,280 a year ($21.77 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,150 of these jobs there. That is 21% below the $57,290 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,690 and $55,910; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Washington tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,562 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Kennewick-Richland, WA at a glance

Median salary

$45,280$21.77 per hour · $3,773 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,690$17.64/hr
25th percentile$38,350$18.44/hr
75th percentile$46,670$22.44/hr
90th percentile$55,910$26.88/hr
Jobs in this metro1,150Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here21% belowAll-jobs median $57,290
Against Washington3% belowStatewide median $46,800
Against the U.S.21% 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 Kennewick-Richland, WA after taxes

$45,280
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,280
Net 85%
Fed 7%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,562After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,214Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,483Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,254 / yr
Washington state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,464 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Kennewick-Richland, WA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WA)
10th percentile$17.64/hr$3,058$36,690$31,660
25th percentile$18.44/hr$3,196$38,350$32,994
MedianMedian$21.77/hr$3,773$45,280$38,562
75th percentile$22.44/hr$3,889$46,670$39,679
90th percentile$26.88/hr$4,659$55,910$47,104

Is $45,280 a good salary in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

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$89,010Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.10.1% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.9%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 Kennewick-Richland, WA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Kennewick-Richland, WA metro area was $45,280 in May 2025, about $3,773 a month or $21.77 an hour. Statewide, the Washington median for this job is $46,800, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Kennewick-Richland, WA was $21.77 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.64 an hour and one in ten earned more than $26.88.

How many restaurant cooks work in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

BLS estimated 1,150 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Kennewick-Richland, WA run from $36,690 at the 10th percentile to $38,350 at the 25th, $46,670 at the 75th, and $55,910 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

On a median gross salary of $45,280, an estimated $38,562 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,483 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Washington in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,718 (an effective rate of 14.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

On the median annual salary of $45,280, gross monthly income is $3,773. After federal, FICA, and Washington state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,214 per month (or $1,483 every two weeks).

Is $45,280 a good salary in Kennewick-Richland, WA?

At $45,280, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50.9% of the Kennewick-Richland, WA median household income ($89,010). It is 21% below the $57,290 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.1, so prices here run 0.1% above the U.S. average.