St. Cloud, MN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in St. Cloud, MN?

In the St. Cloud, MN 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 780 of these jobs there. That is 29% below the $50,840 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $29,140 and $45,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Minnesota tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $30,201 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in St. Cloud, MN at a glance

Median salary

$36,270$17.44 per hour · $3,023 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$29,140$14.01/hr
25th percentile$34,080$16.38/hr
75th percentile$40,250$19.35/hr
90th percentile$45,010$21.64/hr
Jobs in this metro780Location quotient 0.83 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here29% belowAll-jobs median $50,840
Against Minnesota6% belowStatewide median $38,590
Against the U.S.3% 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 St. Cloud, MN after taxes

$36,270
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$36,270
Net 83%
Fed 6%
MN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$30,201After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,517Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,162Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,172 / yr
Minnesota state income tax$1,122 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,775 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in St. Cloud, MN, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the St. Cloud, MN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (MN)
10th percentile$14.01/hr$2,428$29,140$24,854
25th percentile$16.38/hr$2,840$34,080$28,559
MedianMedian$17.44/hr$3,023$36,270$30,201
75th percentile$19.35/hr$3,354$40,250$33,186
90th percentile$21.64/hr$3,751$45,010$36,756

Is $36,270 a good salary in St. Cloud, MN?

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$76,497Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.612.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household47.4%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 St. Cloud, MN: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in St. Cloud, MN?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the St. Cloud, MN metro area was $36,270 in May 2025, about $3,023 a month or $17.44 an hour. Statewide, the Minnesota median for this job is $38,590, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in St. Cloud, MN?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in St. Cloud, MN was $17.44 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.01 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.64.

How many restaurant cooks work in St. Cloud, MN?

BLS estimated 780 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 St. Cloud, MN?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in St. Cloud, MN run from $29,140 at the 10th percentile to $34,080 at the 25th, $40,250 at the 75th, and $45,010 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in St. Cloud, MN?

On a median gross salary of $36,270, an estimated $30,201 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,162 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Minnesota in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,069 (an effective rate of 16.7%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in St. Cloud, MN?

On the median annual salary of $36,270, gross monthly income is $3,023. After federal, FICA, and Minnesota state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,517 per month (or $1,162 every two weeks).

Is $36,270 a good salary in St. Cloud, MN?

At $36,270, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 47.4% of the St. Cloud, MN median household income ($76,497). It is 29% below the $50,840 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.6, so prices here run 12.4% below the U.S. average.