New Haven, CT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in New Haven, CT?

In the New Haven, CT metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $39,100 a year ($18.80 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,350 of these jobs there. That is 35% below the $60,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $36,080 and $49,420; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Connecticut tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,441 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in New Haven, CT at a glance

Median salary

$39,100$18.80 per hour · $3,258 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$36,080$17.35/hr
25th percentile$36,920$17.75/hr
75th percentile$45,450$21.85/hr
90th percentile$49,420$23.76/hr
Jobs in this metro2,350Location quotient 0.92 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here35% belowAll-jobs median $60,060
Against Connecticut1% belowStatewide median $39,480
Against the U.S.5% aboveNational 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 New Haven, CT after taxes

$39,100
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$39,100
Net 83%
Fed 6%
CT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,441After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,703Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,248Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,512 / yr
Connecticut state income tax$1,156 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,991 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in New Haven, CT, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the New Haven, CT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CT)
10th percentile$17.35/hr$3,007$36,080$30,258
25th percentile$17.75/hr$3,077$36,920$30,899
MedianMedian$18.80/hr$3,258$39,100$32,441
75th percentile$21.85/hr$3,788$45,450$37,083
90th percentile$23.76/hr$4,118$49,420$40,112

Is $39,100 a good salary in New Haven, CT?

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$88,197Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)104.64.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.3%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 New Haven, CT: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in New Haven, CT?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the New Haven, CT metro area was $39,100 in May 2025, about $3,258 a month or $18.80 an hour. Statewide, the Connecticut median for this job is $39,480, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in New Haven, CT?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in New Haven, CT was $18.80 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.35 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.76.

How many restaurant cooks work in New Haven, CT?

BLS estimated 2,350 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.92 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in New Haven, CT?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in New Haven, CT run from $36,080 at the 10th percentile to $36,920 at the 25th, $45,450 at the 75th, and $49,420 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in New Haven, CT?

On a median gross salary of $39,100, an estimated $32,441 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,248 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Connecticut in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,659 (an effective rate of 17%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in New Haven, CT?

On the median annual salary of $39,100, gross monthly income is $3,258. After federal, FICA, and Connecticut state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,703 per month (or $1,248 every two weeks).

Is $39,100 a good salary in New Haven, CT?

At $39,100, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.3% of the New Haven, CT median household income ($88,197). It is 35% below the $60,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 104.6, so prices here run 4.6% above the U.S. average.