Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

In the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,700 a year ($17.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,600 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $55,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,000 and $47,300; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Utah tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,743 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT at a glance

Median salary

$36,700$17.65 per hour · $3,058 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,000$13.94/hr
25th percentile$34,110$16.40/hr
75th percentile$43,370$20.85/hr
90th percentile$47,300$22.74/hr
Jobs in this metro4,600Location quotient 0.61 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $55,240
Against Utah1% aboveStatewide median $36,490
Against the U.S.2% 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 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT after taxes

$36,700
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,700
Net 84%
Fed 6%
UT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,743After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,562Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,182Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,224 / yr
Utah state income tax$926 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,808 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (UT)
10th percentile$13.94/hr$2,417$29,000$25,002
25th percentile$16.40/hr$2,843$34,110$28,812
MedianMedian$17.65/hr$3,058$36,700$30,743
75th percentile$20.85/hr$3,614$43,370$35,715
90th percentile$22.74/hr$3,942$47,300$38,645

Is $36,700 a good salary in Salt Lake City-Murray, 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$98,083Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.90.9% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.4%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 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area was $36,700 in May 2025, about $3,058 a month or $17.65 an hour. Statewide, the Utah median for this job is $36,490, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT was $17.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.94 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.74.

How many restaurant cooks work in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

BLS estimated 4,600 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.61 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT run from $29,000 at the 10th percentile to $34,110 at the 25th, $43,370 at the 75th, and $47,300 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

On a median gross salary of $36,700, an estimated $30,743 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,182 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Utah in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,957 (an effective rate of 16.2%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

On the median annual salary of $36,700, gross monthly income is $3,058. After federal, FICA, and Utah state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,562 per month (or $1,182 every two weeks).

Is $36,700 a good salary in Salt Lake City-Murray, UT?

At $36,700, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 37.4% of the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT median household income ($98,083). It is 34% below the $55,240 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.9, so prices here run 0.9% above the U.S. average.