Rochester, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Rochester, NY?

In the Rochester, NY metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $38,380 a year ($18.45 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,290 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,360 and $46,430; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,542 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Rochester, NY at a glance

Median salary

$38,380$18.45 per hour · $3,198 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,360$16.52/hr
25th percentile$35,930$17.28/hr
75th percentile$44,570$21.43/hr
90th percentile$46,430$22.32/hr
Jobs in this metro3,290Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $51,210
Against New York12% belowStatewide median $43,680
Against the U.S.3% 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 Rochester, NY after taxes

$38,380
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,380
Net 82%
Fed 6%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,542After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,629Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,213Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,426 / yr
New York state income tax$1,476 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,936 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Rochester, NY, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Rochester, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$16.52/hr$2,863$34,360$28,529
25th percentile$17.28/hr$2,994$35,930$29,706
MedianMedian$18.45/hr$3,198$38,380$31,542
75th percentile$21.43/hr$3,714$44,570$36,182
90th percentile$22.32/hr$3,869$46,430$37,576

Is $38,380 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

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$76,284Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.03% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household50.3%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 Rochester, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Rochester, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Rochester, NY metro area was $38,380 in May 2025, about $3,198 a month or $18.45 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $43,680, so the metro pays 12% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Rochester, NY?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Rochester, NY was $18.45 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.52 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.32.

How many restaurant cooks work in Rochester, NY?

BLS estimated 3,290 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 6.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Rochester, NY?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Rochester, NY run from $34,360 at the 10th percentile to $35,930 at the 25th, $44,570 at the 75th, and $46,430 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Rochester, NY?

On a median gross salary of $38,380, an estimated $31,542 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,213 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,838 (an effective rate of 17.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Rochester, NY?

On the median annual salary of $38,380, gross monthly income is $3,198. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,629 per month (or $1,213 every two weeks).

Is $38,380 a good salary in Rochester, NY?

At $38,380, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50.3% of the Rochester, NY median household income ($76,284). It is 25% below the $51,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.0, so prices here run 3% below the U.S. average.