San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in San Antonio, TX?

In the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $34,860 a year ($16.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,860 of these jobs there. That is 26% below the $47,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,690 and $38,160; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,190 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in San Antonio, TX at a glance

Median salary

$34,860$16.76 per hour · $2,905 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,690$10.91/hr
25th percentile$29,030$13.96/hr
75th percentile$36,260$17.43/hr
90th percentile$38,160$18.35/hr
Jobs in this metro10,860Location quotient 1.06 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here26% belowAll-jobs median $47,010
Against Texasabout the same asStatewide median $34,760
Against the U.S.7% 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 San Antonio, TX after taxes

$34,860
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,860
Net 87%
Fed 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,190After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,516Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,161Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,003 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,667 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in San Antonio, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$10.91/hr$1,891$22,690$20,295
25th percentile$13.96/hr$2,419$29,030$25,506
MedianMedian$16.76/hr$2,905$34,860$30,190
75th percentile$17.43/hr$3,022$36,260$31,315
90th percentile$18.35/hr$3,180$38,160$32,842

Is $34,860 a good salary in San Antonio, TX?

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$76,213Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)94.75.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.7%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 San Antonio, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area was $34,860 in May 2025, about $2,905 a month or $16.76 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $34,760, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX was $16.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.91 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.35.

How many restaurant cooks work in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

BLS estimated 10,860 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.06 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX run from $22,690 at the 10th percentile to $29,030 at the 25th, $36,260 at the 75th, and $38,160 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

On a median gross salary of $34,860, an estimated $30,190 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,161 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,670 (an effective rate of 13.4%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

On the median annual salary of $34,860, gross monthly income is $2,905. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,516 per month (or $1,161 every two weeks).

Is $34,860 a good salary in San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX?

At $34,860, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 45.7% of the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX median household income ($76,213). It is 26% below the $47,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 94.7, so prices here run 5.3% below the U.S. average.