Pocatello, ID metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Pocatello, ID?

In the Pocatello, ID metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $34,920 a year ($16.79 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 330 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $45,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $25,420 and $45,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Idaho tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,477 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Pocatello, ID at a glance

Median salary

$34,920$16.79 per hour · $2,910 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$25,420$12.22/hr
25th percentile$28,710$13.80/hr
75th percentile$36,710$17.65/hr
90th percentile$45,710$21.98/hr
Jobs in this metro330Location quotient 0.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $45,160
Against Idaho4% belowStatewide median $36,440
Against the U.S.7% 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 Pocatello, ID after taxes

$34,920
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,920
Net 84%
Fed 6%
ID 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,477After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,456Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,134Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,010 / yr
Idaho state income tax$761 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,671 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Pocatello, ID, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Pocatello, ID metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (ID)
10th percentile$12.22/hr$2,118$25,420$22,286
25th percentile$13.80/hr$2,393$28,710$24,817
MedianMedian$16.79/hr$2,910$34,920$29,477
75th percentile$17.65/hr$3,059$36,710$30,821
90th percentile$21.98/hr$3,809$45,710$37,575

Is $34,920 a good salary in Pocatello, ID?

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$66,499Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.911.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.5%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 Pocatello, ID: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Pocatello, ID?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Pocatello, ID metro area was $34,920 in May 2025, about $2,910 a month or $16.79 an hour. Statewide, the Idaho median for this job is $36,440, so the metro pays 4% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Pocatello, ID?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Pocatello, ID was $16.79 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $12.22 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.98.

How many restaurant cooks work in Pocatello, ID?

BLS estimated 330 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.96 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Pocatello, ID?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Pocatello, ID run from $25,420 at the 10th percentile to $28,710 at the 25th, $36,710 at the 75th, and $45,710 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Pocatello, ID?

On a median gross salary of $34,920, an estimated $29,477 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,134 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Idaho in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,443 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Pocatello, ID?

On the median annual salary of $34,920, gross monthly income is $2,910. After federal, FICA, and Idaho state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,456 per month (or $1,134 every two weeks).

Is $34,920 a good salary in Pocatello, ID?

At $34,920, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 52.5% of the Pocatello, ID median household income ($66,499). It is 23% below the $45,160 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.9, so prices here run 11.1% below the U.S. average.