Macon-Bibb County, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

In the Macon-Bibb County, GA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $31,650 a year ($15.22 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 970 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $45,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,880 and $37,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,780 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Macon-Bibb County, GA at a glance

Median salary

$31,650$15.22 per hour · $2,638 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,880$11.48/hr
25th percentile$28,410$13.66/hr
75th percentile$35,320$16.98/hr
90th percentile$37,690$18.12/hr
Jobs in this metro970Location quotient 1.13 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $45,160
Against Georgia12% belowStatewide median $35,940
Against the U.S.15% belowNational median $37,390

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Restaurant cook salary in Macon-Bibb County, GA after taxes

$31,650
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,650
Net 85%
Fed 5%
GA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,780After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,232Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,030Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,618 / yr
Georgia state income tax$831 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,421 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Macon-Bibb County, GA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Macon-Bibb County, GA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Macon-Bibb County, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$11.48/hr$1,990$23,880$20,832
25th percentile$13.66/hr$2,368$28,410$24,336
MedianMedian$15.22/hr$2,638$31,650$26,780
75th percentile$16.98/hr$2,943$35,320$29,546
90th percentile$18.12/hr$3,141$37,690$31,332

Is $31,650 a good salary in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

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$59,526Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.511.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household53.2%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 Macon-Bibb County, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Macon-Bibb County, GA metro area was $31,650 in May 2025, about $2,638 a month or $15.22 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 12% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Macon-Bibb County, GA was $15.22 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.48 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.12.

How many restaurant cooks work in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

BLS estimated 970 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.13 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Macon-Bibb County, GA run from $23,880 at the 10th percentile to $28,410 at the 25th, $35,320 at the 75th, and $37,690 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

On a median gross salary of $31,650, an estimated $26,780 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,030 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,870 (an effective rate of 15.4%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

On the median annual salary of $31,650, gross monthly income is $2,638. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,232 per month (or $1,030 every two weeks).

Is $31,650 a good salary in Macon-Bibb County, GA?

At $31,650, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 53.2% of the Macon-Bibb County, GA median household income ($59,526). It is 30% below the $45,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.5, so prices here run 11.5% below the U.S. average.