Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Slidell-Mandeville, LA?

In the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,050 a year ($13.97 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 34% below the $43,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,490 and $37,900; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Louisiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,036 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Slidell-Mandeville, LA at a glance

Median salary

$29,050$13.97 per hour · $2,421 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,490$10.81/hr
25th percentile$24,850$11.95/hr
75th percentile$36,050$17.33/hr
90th percentile$37,900$18.22/hr
Jobs in this metro1,100Location quotient 1.24 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $43,710
Against Louisianaabout the same asStatewide median $29,050
Against the U.S.22% 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 Slidell-Mandeville, LA after taxes

$29,050
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,050
Net 86%
Fed 4%
LA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,036After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,086Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$963Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,306 / yr
Louisiana state income tax$485 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,222 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Slidell-Mandeville, LA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (LA)
10th percentile$10.81/hr$1,874$22,490$19,842
25th percentile$11.95/hr$2,071$24,850$21,715
MedianMedian$13.97/hr$2,421$29,050$25,036
75th percentile$17.33/hr$3,004$36,050$30,451
90th percentile$18.22/hr$3,158$37,900$31,882

Is $29,050 a good salary in Slidell-Mandeville, LA?

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$81,202Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.77.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household35.8%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 Slidell-Mandeville, LA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area was $29,050 in May 2025, about $2,421 a month or $13.97 an hour. Statewide, the Louisiana median for this job is $29,050, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA was $13.97 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.81 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.22.

How many restaurant cooks work in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

BLS estimated 1,100 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 11.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.24 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA run from $22,490 at the 10th percentile to $24,850 at the 25th, $36,050 at the 75th, and $37,900 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

On a median gross salary of $29,050, an estimated $25,036 lands in net take-home pay per year ($963 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Louisiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,014 (an effective rate of 13.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

On the median annual salary of $29,050, gross monthly income is $2,421. After federal, FICA, and Louisiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,086 per month (or $963 every two weeks).

Is $29,050 a good salary in Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA?

At $29,050, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 35.8% of the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA median household income ($81,202). It is 34% below the $43,710 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.7, so prices here run 7.3% below the U.S. average.