Restaurant cook pay in Madison, WI at a glance
Median salary
$38,440$18.48 per hour · $3,203 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Madison, WI after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Madison, WI, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Madison, WI metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (WI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $14.80/hr | $2,566 | $30,790 | $26,290 |
| 25th percentile | $16.82/hr | $2,916 | $34,990 | $29,457 |
| MedianMedian | $18.48/hr | $3,203 | $38,440 | $32,059 |
| 75th percentile | $21.41/hr | $3,711 | $44,530 | $36,653 |
| 90th percentile | $22.64/hr | $3,924 | $47,090 | $38,583 |
Is $38,440 a good salary in Madison, WI?
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 Wisconsin 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 Madison, WI: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Madison, WI?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Madison, WI metro area was $38,440 in May 2025, about $3,203 a month or $18.48 an hour. Statewide, the Wisconsin median for this job is $36,550, so the metro pays 5% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Madison, WI?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Madison, WI was $18.48 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.80 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.64.
How many restaurant cooks work in Madison, WI?
BLS estimated 3,190 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Madison, WI?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Madison, WI run from $30,790 at the 10th percentile to $34,990 at the 25th, $44,530 at the 75th, and $47,090 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Madison, WI?
On a median gross salary of $38,440, an estimated $32,059 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,233 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Wisconsin in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,381 (an effective rate of 16.6%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Madison, WI?
On the median annual salary of $38,440, gross monthly income is $3,203. After federal, FICA, and Wisconsin state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,672 per month (or $1,233 every two weeks).
Is $38,440 a good salary in Madison, WI?
At $38,440, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 43.3% of the Madison, WI median household income ($88,804). It is 34% below the $58,080 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.3, so prices here run 2.7% below the U.S. average.