Owensboro, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Owensboro, KY?

In the Owensboro, KY metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $30,010 a year ($14.43 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 440 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $44,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,640 and $37,380; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,360 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Owensboro, KY at a glance

Median salary

$30,010$14.43 per hour · $2,501 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,640$11.36/hr
25th percentile$28,710$13.81/hr
75th percentile$36,030$17.32/hr
90th percentile$37,380$17.97/hr
Jobs in this metro440Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $44,960
Against Kentucky13% belowStatewide median $34,640
Against the U.S.20% 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 Owensboro, KY after taxes

$30,010
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,010
Net 85%
Fed 5%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,360After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,113Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$975Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,421 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$933 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,296 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Owensboro, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Owensboro, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$11.36/hr$1,970$23,640$20,368
25th percentile$13.81/hr$2,393$28,710$24,361
MedianMedian$14.43/hr$2,501$30,010$25,360
75th percentile$17.32/hr$3,003$36,030$29,987
90th percentile$17.97/hr$3,115$37,380$31,024

Is $30,010 a good salary in Owensboro, KY?

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$68,002Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.611.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.1%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 Owensboro, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Owensboro, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Owensboro, KY metro area was $30,010 in May 2025, about $2,501 a month or $14.43 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $34,640, so the metro pays 13% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Owensboro, KY?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Owensboro, KY was $14.43 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.97.

How many restaurant cooks work in Owensboro, KY?

BLS estimated 440 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Owensboro, KY?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Owensboro, KY run from $23,640 at the 10th percentile to $28,710 at the 25th, $36,030 at the 75th, and $37,380 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Owensboro, KY?

On a median gross salary of $30,010, an estimated $25,360 lands in net take-home pay per year ($975 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,650 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Owensboro, KY?

On the median annual salary of $30,010, gross monthly income is $2,501. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,113 per month (or $975 every two weeks).

Is $30,010 a good salary in Owensboro, KY?

At $30,010, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.1% of the Owensboro, KY median household income ($68,002). It is 33% below the $44,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.6, so prices here run 11.4% below the U.S. average.