Restaurant cook pay in Washington-Arlington, DC at a glance
Median salary
$42,920$20.64 per hour · $3,577 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Restaurant cook salary in Washington-Arlington, DC after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Washington-Arlington, DC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (DC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.98/hr | $2,943 | $35,310 | $29,533 |
| 25th percentile | $17.69/hr | $3,066 | $36,790 | $30,633 |
| MedianMedian | $20.64/hr | $3,577 | $42,920 | $35,191 |
| 75th percentile | $22.15/hr | $3,839 | $46,070 | $37,533 |
| 90th percentile | $23.87/hr | $4,138 | $49,650 | $40,195 |
Is $42,920 a good salary in Washington-Arlington, DC?
It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.
Restaurant cooks pay in District of Columbia and across the U.S.
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.
Restaurant cook pay in Washington-Arlington, DC: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area was $42,920 in May 2025, about $3,577 a month or $20.64 an hour. Statewide, the District of Columbia median for this job is $46,130, so the metro pays 7% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV was $20.64 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.98 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.87.
How many restaurant cooks work in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimated 29,670 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.04 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV run from $35,310 at the 10th percentile to $36,790 at the 25th, $46,070 at the 75th, and $49,650 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On a median gross salary of $42,920, an estimated $35,191 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,354 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in District of Columbia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $7,729 (an effective rate of 18%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On the median annual salary of $42,920, gross monthly income is $3,577. After federal, FICA, and District of Columbia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,933 per month (or $1,354 every two weeks).
Is $42,920 a good salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
At $42,920, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 33.9% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median household income ($126,684). It is 40% below the $71,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 108.9, so prices here run 8.9% above the U.S. average.