Morgantown, WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Morgantown, WV?

In the Morgantown, WV metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,740 a year ($14.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 760 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $47,350 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,310 and $36,450; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and West Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,357 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Morgantown, WV at a glance

Median salary

$29,740$14.30 per hour · $2,478 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,310$10.73/hr
25th percentile$27,390$13.17/hr
75th percentile$34,480$16.58/hr
90th percentile$36,450$17.52/hr
Jobs in this metro760Location quotient 1.24 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $47,350
Against West Virginia1% aboveStatewide median $29,590
Against the U.S.20% 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 Morgantown, WV after taxes

$29,740
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,740
Net 85%
Fed 5%
WV 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,357After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,113Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$975Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,389 / yr
West Virginia state income tax$719 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,275 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Morgantown, WV, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Morgantown, WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WV)
10th percentile$10.73/hr$1,859$22,310$19,482
25th percentile$13.17/hr$2,283$27,390$23,521
MedianMedian$14.30/hr$2,478$29,740$25,357
75th percentile$16.58/hr$2,873$34,480$29,016
90th percentile$17.52/hr$3,038$36,450$30,536

Is $29,740 a good salary in Morgantown, WV?

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$64,640Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.36.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46%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 Morgantown, WV: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Morgantown, WV?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Morgantown, WV metro area was $29,740 in May 2025, about $2,478 a month or $14.30 an hour. Statewide, the West Virginia median for this job is $29,590, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Morgantown, WV?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Morgantown, WV was $14.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.52.

How many restaurant cooks work in Morgantown, WV?

BLS estimated 760 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 11.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.24 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Morgantown, WV?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Morgantown, WV run from $22,310 at the 10th percentile to $27,390 at the 25th, $34,480 at the 75th, and $36,450 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Morgantown, WV?

On a median gross salary of $29,740, an estimated $25,357 lands in net take-home pay per year ($975 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in West Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,383 (an effective rate of 14.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Morgantown, WV?

On the median annual salary of $29,740, gross monthly income is $2,478. After federal, FICA, and West Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,113 per month (or $975 every two weeks).

Is $29,740 a good salary in Morgantown, WV?

At $29,740, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 46% of the Morgantown, WV median household income ($64,640). It is 37% below the $47,350 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.3, so prices here run 6.7% below the U.S. average.