Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $38,270 a year ($18.40 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 24,220 of these jobs there. That is 30% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,750 and $47,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Delaware tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,483 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Philadelphia-Camden, PA at a glance

Median salary

$38,270$18.40 per hour · $3,189 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,750$14.30/hr
25th percentile$35,790$17.21/hr
75th percentile$44,040$21.18/hr
90th percentile$47,010$22.60/hr
Jobs in this metro24,220Location quotient 0.92 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here30% belowAll-jobs median $54,310
Against Delaware1% aboveStatewide median $37,840
Against the U.S.2% 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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA after taxes

$38,270
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,270
Net 82%
Fed 6%
DE 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,483After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,624Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,211Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,412 / yr
Delaware state income tax$1,447 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,928 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Philadelphia-Camden, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (DE)
10th percentile$14.30/hr$2,479$29,750$25,110
25th percentile$17.21/hr$2,983$35,790$29,628
MedianMedian$18.40/hr$3,189$38,270$31,483
75th percentile$21.18/hr$3,670$44,040$35,799
90th percentile$22.60/hr$3,918$47,010$38,020

Is $38,270 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden, PA?

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$91,289Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)102.62.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.9%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 Philadelphia-Camden, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area was $38,270 in May 2025, about $3,189 a month or $18.40 an hour. Statewide, the Delaware median for this job is $37,840, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD was $18.40 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.60.

How many restaurant cooks work in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS estimated 24,220 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD run from $29,750 at the 10th percentile to $35,790 at the 25th, $44,040 at the 75th, and $47,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On a median gross salary of $38,270, an estimated $31,483 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,211 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Delaware in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,787 (an effective rate of 17.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

On the median annual salary of $38,270, gross monthly income is $3,189. After federal, FICA, and Delaware state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,624 per month (or $1,211 every two weeks).

Is $38,270 a good salary in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?

At $38,270, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 41.9% of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD median household income ($91,289). It is 30% below the $54,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 102.6, so prices here run 2.6% above the U.S. average.