Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

In the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,100 a year ($17.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,850 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $52,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,500 and $45,180; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Michigan tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,664 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Lansing-East Lansing, MI at a glance

Median salary

$37,100$17.84 per hour · $3,092 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,500$14.19/hr
25th percentile$33,680$16.19/hr
75th percentile$38,270$18.40/hr
90th percentile$45,180$21.72/hr
Jobs in this metro1,850Location quotient 0.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $52,800
Against Michiganabout the same asStatewide median $36,980
Against the U.S.1% 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 Lansing-East Lansing, MI after taxes

$37,100
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,100
Net 83%
Fed 6%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,664After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,555Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,179Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,272 / yr
Michigan state income tax$1,326 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,838 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Lansing-East Lansing, MI, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MI)
10th percentile$14.19/hr$2,458$29,500$24,880
25th percentile$16.19/hr$2,807$33,680$28,061
MedianMedian$17.84/hr$3,092$37,100$30,664
75th percentile$18.40/hr$3,189$38,270$31,554
90th percentile$21.72/hr$3,765$45,180$36,813

Is $37,100 a good salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

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$72,550Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.05% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household51.1%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 Lansing-East Lansing, MI: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI metro area was $37,100 in May 2025, about $3,092 a month or $17.84 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $36,980, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Lansing-East Lansing, MI was $17.84 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.19 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.72.

How many restaurant cooks work in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

BLS estimated 1,850 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.94 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Lansing-East Lansing, MI run from $29,500 at the 10th percentile to $33,680 at the 25th, $38,270 at the 75th, and $45,180 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

On a median gross salary of $37,100, an estimated $30,664 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,179 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,436 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

On the median annual salary of $37,100, gross monthly income is $3,092. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,555 per month (or $1,179 every two weeks).

Is $37,100 a good salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?

At $37,100, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 51.1% of the Lansing-East Lansing, MI median household income ($72,550). It is 30% below the $52,800 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.0, so prices here run 5% below the U.S. average.