Santa Fe, NM metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Santa Fe, NM?

In the Santa Fe, NM metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $37,250 a year ($17.91 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,100 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $48,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,580 and $45,720; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Mexico tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $31,461 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Santa Fe, NM at a glance

Median salary

$37,250$17.91 per hour · $3,104 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,580$14.70/hr
25th percentile$34,170$16.43/hr
75th percentile$42,450$20.41/hr
90th percentile$45,720$21.98/hr
Jobs in this metro1,100Location quotient 1.96 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $48,710
Against New Mexico6% aboveStatewide median $35,020
Against the U.S.about the same asNational 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 Santa Fe, NM after taxes

$37,250
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$37,250
Net 84%
Fed 6%
NM 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$31,461After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,622Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,210Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,290 / yr
New Mexico state income tax$650 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,850 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Santa Fe, NM, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Santa Fe, NM metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NM)
10th percentile$14.70/hr$2,548$30,580$26,399
25th percentile$16.43/hr$2,848$34,170$29,135
MedianMedian$17.91/hr$3,104$37,250$31,461
75th percentile$20.41/hr$3,538$42,450$35,415
90th percentile$21.98/hr$3,810$45,720$37,902

Is $37,250 a good salary in Santa Fe, NM?

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$79,071Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.81.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.1%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 Santa Fe, NM: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Santa Fe, NM?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Santa Fe, NM metro area was $37,250 in May 2025, about $3,104 a month or $17.91 an hour. Statewide, the New Mexico median for this job is $35,020, so the metro pays 6% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Santa Fe, NM?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Santa Fe, NM was $17.91 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.70 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.98.

How many restaurant cooks work in Santa Fe, NM?

BLS estimated 1,100 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 17.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.96 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Santa Fe, NM?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Santa Fe, NM run from $30,580 at the 10th percentile to $34,170 at the 25th, $42,450 at the 75th, and $45,720 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Santa Fe, NM?

On a median gross salary of $37,250, an estimated $31,461 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,210 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Mexico in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,789 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Santa Fe, NM?

On the median annual salary of $37,250, gross monthly income is $3,104. After federal, FICA, and New Mexico state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,622 per month (or $1,210 every two weeks).

Is $37,250 a good salary in Santa Fe, NM?

At $37,250, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 47.1% of the Santa Fe, NM median household income ($79,071). It is 24% below the $48,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.8, so prices here run 1.2% below the U.S. average.