Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $45,200 a year ($21.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 13,020 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $37,510 and $61,430; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Oregon tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,641 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Portland-Vancouver, OR at a glance

Median salary

$45,200$21.73 per hour · $3,767 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$37,510$18.04/hr
25th percentile$38,850$18.68/hr
75th percentile$51,010$24.52/hr
90th percentile$61,430$29.53/hr
Jobs in this metro13,020Location quotient 1.19 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $60,690
Against Oregon5% aboveStatewide median $43,100
Against the U.S.21% aboveNational 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 Portland-Vancouver, OR after taxes

$45,200
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$45,200
Net 79%
Fed 7%
OR 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,641After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,970Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,371Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate21.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,244 / yr
Oregon state income tax$2,857 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,458 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Portland-Vancouver, OR, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OR)
10th percentile$18.04/hr$3,126$37,510$30,054
25th percentile$18.68/hr$3,238$38,850$31,028
MedianMedian$21.73/hr$3,767$45,200$35,641
75th percentile$24.52/hr$4,251$51,010$39,862
90th percentile$29.53/hr$5,119$61,430$47,432

Is $45,200 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver, OR?

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$97,436Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)105.45.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.4%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 Portland-Vancouver, OR: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area was $45,200 in May 2025, about $3,767 a month or $21.73 an hour. Statewide, the Oregon median for this job is $43,100, so the metro pays 5% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA was $21.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $18.04 an hour and one in ten earned more than $29.53.

How many restaurant cooks work in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS estimated 13,020 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 10.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.19 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA run from $37,510 at the 10th percentile to $38,850 at the 25th, $51,010 at the 75th, and $61,430 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On a median gross salary of $45,200, an estimated $35,641 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,371 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Oregon in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,559 (an effective rate of 21.1%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

On the median annual salary of $45,200, gross monthly income is $3,767. After federal, FICA, and Oregon state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,970 per month (or $1,371 every two weeks).

Is $45,200 a good salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?

At $45,200, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 46.4% of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median household income ($97,436). It is 26% below the $60,690 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 105.4, so prices here run 5.4% above the U.S. average.