Valdosta, GA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Valdosta, GA?

In the Valdosta, GA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $29,880 a year ($14.36 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 680 of these jobs there. That is 24% below the $39,110 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,760 and $35,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Georgia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,446 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Valdosta, GA at a glance

Median salary

$29,880$14.36 per hour · $2,490 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,760$10.94/hr
25th percentile$25,490$12.25/hr
75th percentile$34,080$16.39/hr
90th percentile$35,890$17.26/hr
Jobs in this metro680Location quotient 1.39 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here24% belowAll-jobs median $39,110
Against Georgia17% belowStatewide median $35,940
Against the U.S.20% 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 Valdosta, GA after taxes

$29,880
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,880
Net 85%
Fed 5%
GA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,446After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,121Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$979Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,406 / yr
Georgia state income tax$743 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,286 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Valdosta, GA, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Valdosta, GA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (GA)
10th percentile$10.94/hr$1,897$22,760$19,966
25th percentile$12.25/hr$2,124$25,490$22,078
MedianMedian$14.36/hr$2,490$29,880$25,446
75th percentile$16.39/hr$2,840$34,080$28,611
90th percentile$17.26/hr$2,991$35,890$29,975

Is $29,880 a good salary in Valdosta, GA?

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$57,085Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.311.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household52.3%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 Valdosta, GA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Valdosta, GA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Valdosta, GA metro area was $29,880 in May 2025, about $2,490 a month or $14.36 an hour. Statewide, the Georgia median for this job is $35,940, so the metro pays 17% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Valdosta, GA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Valdosta, GA was $14.36 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.94 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.26.

How many restaurant cooks work in Valdosta, GA?

BLS estimated 680 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 12.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.39 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Valdosta, GA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Valdosta, GA run from $22,760 at the 10th percentile to $25,490 at the 25th, $34,080 at the 75th, and $35,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Valdosta, GA?

On a median gross salary of $29,880, an estimated $25,446 lands in net take-home pay per year ($979 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Georgia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,434 (an effective rate of 14.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Valdosta, GA?

On the median annual salary of $29,880, gross monthly income is $2,490. After federal, FICA, and Georgia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,121 per month (or $979 every two weeks).

Is $29,880 a good salary in Valdosta, GA?

At $29,880, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 52.3% of the Valdosta, GA median household income ($57,085). It is 24% below the $39,110 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.3, so prices here run 11.7% below the U.S. average.