Sandusky, OH metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Sandusky, OH?

In the Sandusky, OH metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,250 a year ($16.95 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 910 of these jobs there. That is 22% below the $44,970 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,480 and $43,500; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Ohio tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,984 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Sandusky, OH at a glance

Median salary

$35,250$16.95 per hour · $2,938 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,480$13.21/hr
25th percentile$29,650$14.26/hr
75th percentile$37,340$17.95/hr
90th percentile$43,500$20.91/hr
Jobs in this metro910Location quotient 1.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here22% belowAll-jobs median $44,970
Against Ohio1% belowStatewide median $35,540
Against the U.S.6% 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 Sandusky, OH after taxes

$35,250
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,250
Net 85%
Fed 6%
OH 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,984After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,499Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,153Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,050 / yr
Ohio state income tax$519 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,697 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Sandusky, OH, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Sandusky, OH metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OH)
10th percentile$13.21/hr$2,290$27,480$24,240
25th percentile$14.26/hr$2,471$29,650$25,639
MedianMedian$16.95/hr$2,938$35,250$29,984
75th percentile$17.95/hr$3,112$37,340$31,606
90th percentile$20.91/hr$3,625$43,500$36,380

Is $35,250 a good salary in Sandusky, OH?

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$73,502Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.310.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48%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 Sandusky, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Sandusky, OH?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Sandusky, OH metro area was $35,250 in May 2025, about $2,938 a month or $16.95 an hour. Statewide, the Ohio median for this job is $35,540, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Sandusky, OH?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Sandusky, OH was $16.95 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.21 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.91.

How many restaurant cooks work in Sandusky, OH?

BLS estimated 910 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 18.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.99 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Sandusky, OH?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Sandusky, OH run from $27,480 at the 10th percentile to $29,650 at the 25th, $37,340 at the 75th, and $43,500 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Sandusky, OH?

On a median gross salary of $35,250, an estimated $29,984 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,153 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Ohio in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,266 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Sandusky, OH?

On the median annual salary of $35,250, gross monthly income is $2,938. After federal, FICA, and Ohio state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,499 per month (or $1,153 every two weeks).

Is $35,250 a good salary in Sandusky, OH?

At $35,250, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 48% of the Sandusky, OH median household income ($73,502). It is 22% below the $44,970 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.3, so prices here run 10.7% below the U.S. average.