Restaurant cook pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN at a glance
Median salary
$34,870$16.76 per hour · $2,906 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (IN) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $12.21/hr | $2,116 | $25,390 | $21,799 |
| 25th percentile | $13.80/hr | $2,393 | $28,710 | $24,431 |
| MedianMedian | $16.76/hr | $2,906 | $34,870 | $29,199 |
| 75th percentile | $17.54/hr | $3,039 | $36,470 | $30,437 |
| 90th percentile | $20.96/hr | $3,634 | $43,610 | $35,964 |
Is $34,870 a good salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.
Restaurant cooks pay in Indiana and across the U.S.
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.
Restaurant cook pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN metro area was $34,870 in May 2025, about $2,906 a month or $16.76 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $35,170, so the metro pays 1% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN was $16.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.21 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.96.
How many restaurant cooks work in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
BLS estimated 930 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.01 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN run from $25,390 at the 10th percentile to $28,710 at the 25th, $36,470 at the 75th, and $43,610 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
On a median gross salary of $34,870, an estimated $29,199 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,123 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,671 (an effective rate of 16.3%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
On the median annual salary of $34,870, gross monthly income is $2,906. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,433 per month (or $1,123 every two weeks).
Is $34,870 a good salary in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
At $34,870, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 56.2% of the Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN median household income ($62,011). It is 29% below the $48,780 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.4, so prices here run 6.6% below the U.S. average.