Laredo, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Laredo, TX?

In the Laredo, TX metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $28,120 a year ($13.52 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,060 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $37,250 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $19,800 and $34,940; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,767 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Laredo, TX at a glance

Median salary

$28,120$13.52 per hour · $2,343 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$19,800$9.52/hr
25th percentile$22,510$10.82/hr
75th percentile$31,670$15.23/hr
90th percentile$34,940$16.80/hr
Jobs in this metro1,060Location quotient 1.07 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $37,250
Against Texas19% belowStatewide median $34,760
Against the U.S.25% belowNational 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 Laredo, TX after taxes

$28,120
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,120
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,767After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,064Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$953Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,202 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,151 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Laredo, TX, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Laredo, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$9.52/hr$1,650$19,800$17,915
25th percentile$10.82/hr$1,876$22,510$20,147
MedianMedian$13.52/hr$2,343$28,120$24,767
75th percentile$15.23/hr$2,639$31,670$27,627
90th percentile$16.80/hr$2,912$34,940$30,254

Is $28,120 a good salary in Laredo, TX?

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$63,058Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.013% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.6%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 Laredo, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Laredo, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Laredo, TX metro area was $28,120 in May 2025, about $2,343 a month or $13.52 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $34,760, so the metro pays 19% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Laredo, TX?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Laredo, TX was $13.52 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.80.

How many restaurant cooks work in Laredo, TX?

BLS estimated 1,060 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.07 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Laredo, TX?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Laredo, TX run from $19,800 at the 10th percentile to $22,510 at the 25th, $31,670 at the 75th, and $34,940 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Laredo, TX?

On a median gross salary of $28,120, an estimated $24,767 lands in net take-home pay per year ($953 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,353 (an effective rate of 11.9%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Laredo, TX?

On the median annual salary of $28,120, gross monthly income is $2,343. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,064 per month (or $953 every two weeks).

Is $28,120 a good salary in Laredo, TX?

At $28,120, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.6% of the Laredo, TX median household income ($63,058). It is 25% below the $37,250 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.0, so prices here run 13% below the U.S. average.