Saginaw, MI metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Saginaw, MI?

In the Saginaw, MI metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,000 a year ($17.31 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 780 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $46,200 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,290 and $44,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Michigan tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,827 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Saginaw, MI at a glance

Median salary

$36,000$17.31 per hour · $3,000 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,290$14.08/hr
25th percentile$31,410$15.10/hr
75th percentile$37,500$18.03/hr
90th percentile$44,240$21.27/hr
Jobs in this metro780Location quotient 1.08 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $46,200
Against Michigan3% belowStatewide median $36,980
Against the U.S.4% 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 Saginaw, MI after taxes

$36,000
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,000
Net 83%
Fed 6%
MI 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,827After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,486Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,147Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,140 / yr
Michigan state income tax$1,279 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,754 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Saginaw, MI, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Saginaw, MI metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MI)
10th percentile$14.08/hr$2,441$29,290$24,720
25th percentile$15.10/hr$2,618$31,410$26,334
MedianMedian$17.31/hr$3,000$36,000$29,827
75th percentile$18.03/hr$3,125$37,500$30,968
90th percentile$21.27/hr$3,687$44,240$36,097

Is $36,000 a good salary in Saginaw, MI?

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$60,622Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.99.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household59.4%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 Saginaw, MI: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Saginaw, MI?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Saginaw, MI metro area was $36,000 in May 2025, about $3,000 a month or $17.31 an hour. Statewide, the Michigan median for this job is $36,980, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Saginaw, MI?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Saginaw, MI was $17.31 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.08 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.27.

How many restaurant cooks work in Saginaw, MI?

BLS estimated 780 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.08 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Saginaw, MI?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Saginaw, MI run from $29,290 at the 10th percentile to $31,410 at the 25th, $37,500 at the 75th, and $44,240 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Saginaw, MI?

On a median gross salary of $36,000, an estimated $29,827 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,147 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Michigan in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,173 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Saginaw, MI?

On the median annual salary of $36,000, gross monthly income is $3,000. After federal, FICA, and Michigan state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,486 per month (or $1,147 every two weeks).

Is $36,000 a good salary in Saginaw, MI?

At $36,000, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 59.4% of the Saginaw, MI median household income ($60,622). It is 22% below the $46,200 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.9, so prices here run 9.1% below the U.S. average.