Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Provo-Orem, UT?

In the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,540 a year ($17.57 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,400 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $48,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,600 and $45,960; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Utah tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,623 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Provo-Orem, UT at a glance

Median salary

$36,540$17.57 per hour · $3,045 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
25th percentile$34,280$16.48/hr
75th percentile$37,870$18.21/hr
90th percentile$45,960$22.10/hr
Jobs in this metro1,400Location quotient 0.51 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $48,010
Against Utahabout the same asStatewide median $36,490
Against the U.S.2% 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 Provo-Orem, UT after taxes

$36,540
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,540
Net 84%
Fed 6%
UT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,623After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,552Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,178Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,205 / yr
Utah state income tax$917 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,795 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Provo-Orem, UT, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (UT)
10th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$24,704
25th percentile$16.48/hr$2,857$34,280$28,939
MedianMedian$17.57/hr$3,045$36,540$30,623
75th percentile$18.21/hr$3,156$37,870$31,615
90th percentile$22.10/hr$3,830$45,960$37,646

Is $36,540 a good salary in Provo-Orem, UT?

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$100,704Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.21.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.3%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 Provo-Orem, UT: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metro area was $36,540 in May 2025, about $3,045 a month or $17.57 an hour. Statewide, the Utah median for this job is $36,490, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT was $17.57 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.10.

How many restaurant cooks work in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

BLS estimated 1,400 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.51 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT run from $28,600 at the 10th percentile to $34,280 at the 25th, $37,870 at the 75th, and $45,960 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

On a median gross salary of $36,540, an estimated $30,623 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,178 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Utah in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,917 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

On the median annual salary of $36,540, gross monthly income is $3,045. After federal, FICA, and Utah state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,552 per month (or $1,178 every two weeks).

Is $36,540 a good salary in Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT?

At $36,540, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 36.3% of the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT median household income ($100,704). It is 24% below the $48,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.2, so prices here run 1.8% below the U.S. average.