Tuscaloosa, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Tuscaloosa, AL?

In the Tuscaloosa, AL metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $30,690 a year ($14.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 890 of these jobs there. That is 32% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $24,850 and $38,110; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,633 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Tuscaloosa, AL at a glance

Median salary

$30,690$14.76 per hour · $2,558 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$24,850$11.95/hr
25th percentile$28,200$13.56/hr
75th percentile$35,070$16.86/hr
90th percentile$38,110$18.32/hr
Jobs in this metro890Location quotient 0.91 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here32% belowAll-jobs median $45,220
Against Alabama5% belowStatewide median $32,180
Against the U.S.18% 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 Tuscaloosa, AL after taxes

$30,690
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$30,690
Net 84%
Fed 5%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,633After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,136Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$986Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,503 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,207 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,348 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Tuscaloosa, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$11.95/hr$2,071$24,850$21,140
25th percentile$13.56/hr$2,350$28,200$23,742
MedianMedian$14.76/hr$2,558$30,690$25,633
75th percentile$16.86/hr$2,923$35,070$28,948
90th percentile$18.32/hr$3,176$38,110$31,256

Is $30,690 a good salary in Tuscaloosa, AL?

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$61,517Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.712.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household49.9%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 Tuscaloosa, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Tuscaloosa, AL metro area was $30,690 in May 2025, about $2,558 a month or $14.76 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $32,180, so the metro pays 5% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Tuscaloosa, AL was $14.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.95 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.32.

How many restaurant cooks work in Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS estimated 890 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.91 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Tuscaloosa, AL run from $24,850 at the 10th percentile to $28,200 at the 25th, $35,070 at the 75th, and $38,110 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Tuscaloosa, AL?

On a median gross salary of $30,690, an estimated $25,633 lands in net take-home pay per year ($986 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,057 (an effective rate of 16.5%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Tuscaloosa, AL?

On the median annual salary of $30,690, gross monthly income is $2,558. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,136 per month (or $986 every two weeks).

Is $30,690 a good salary in Tuscaloosa, AL?

At $30,690, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 49.9% of the Tuscaloosa, AL median household income ($61,517). It is 32% below the $45,220 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.7, so prices here run 12.3% below the U.S. average.