Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Sioux City, IA?

In the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $36,270 a year ($17.44 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 560 of these jobs there. That is 23% below the $47,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,370 and $45,620; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,596 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Sioux City, IA at a glance

Median salary

$36,270$17.44 per hour · $3,023 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,370$14.12/hr
25th percentile$30,730$14.77/hr
75th percentile$39,080$18.79/hr
90th percentile$45,620$21.93/hr
Jobs in this metro560Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here23% belowAll-jobs median $47,030
Against Iowa2% aboveStatewide median $35,670
Against the U.S.3% 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 Sioux City, IA after taxes

$36,270
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,270
Net 84%
Fed 6%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,596After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,550Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,177Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,172 / yr
Iowa state income tax$726 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,775 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Sioux City, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$14.12/hr$2,448$29,370$25,315
25th percentile$14.77/hr$2,561$30,730$26,356
MedianMedian$17.44/hr$3,023$36,270$30,596
75th percentile$18.79/hr$3,257$39,080$32,748
90th percentile$21.93/hr$3,802$45,620$37,754

Is $36,270 a good salary in Sioux City, IA?

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$75,192Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.513.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.2%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 Sioux City, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area was $36,270 in May 2025, about $3,023 a month or $17.44 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $35,670, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD was $17.44 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.12 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.93.

How many restaurant cooks work in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

BLS estimated 560 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 7.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.83 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD run from $29,370 at the 10th percentile to $30,730 at the 25th, $39,080 at the 75th, and $45,620 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

On a median gross salary of $36,270, an estimated $30,596 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,177 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,674 (an effective rate of 15.6%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

On the median annual salary of $36,270, gross monthly income is $3,023. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,550 per month (or $1,177 every two weeks).

Is $36,270 a good salary in Sioux City, IA-NE-SD?

At $36,270, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 48.2% of the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD median household income ($75,192). It is 23% below the $47,030 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.5, so prices here run 13.5% below the U.S. average.