Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

In the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $38,570 a year ($18.54 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,290 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,750 and $48,290; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Connecticut tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $32,077 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Waterbury-Shelton, CT at a glance

Median salary

$38,570$18.54 per hour · $3,214 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,750$16.71/hr
25th percentile$35,980$17.30/hr
75th percentile$44,170$21.23/hr
90th percentile$48,290$23.22/hr
Jobs in this metro1,290Location quotient 0.89 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $51,440
Against Connecticut2% belowStatewide median $39,480
Against the U.S.3% aboveNational median $37,390

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Restaurant cook salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT after taxes

$38,570
$15,000$80,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$38,570
Net 83%
Fed 6%
CT 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$32,077After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,673Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,234Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,448 / yr
Connecticut state income tax$1,094 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,951 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Waterbury-Shelton, CT, hourly and yearly

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

What restaurant cooks earned in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CT)
10th percentile$16.71/hr$2,896$34,750$29,324
25th percentile$17.30/hr$2,998$35,980$30,222
MedianMedian$18.54/hr$3,214$38,570$32,077
75th percentile$21.23/hr$3,681$44,170$36,107
90th percentile$23.22/hr$4,024$48,290$39,250

Is $38,570 a good salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

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$86,191Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)99.80.2% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.7%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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area was $38,570 in May 2025, about $3,214 a month or $18.54 an hour. Statewide, the Connecticut median for this job is $39,480, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Waterbury-Shelton, CT was $18.54 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $23.22.

How many restaurant cooks work in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

BLS estimated 1,290 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.89 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Waterbury-Shelton, CT run from $34,750 at the 10th percentile to $35,980 at the 25th, $44,170 at the 75th, and $48,290 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

On a median gross salary of $38,570, an estimated $32,077 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,234 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Connecticut in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,493 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

On the median annual salary of $38,570, gross monthly income is $3,214. After federal, FICA, and Connecticut state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,673 per month (or $1,234 every two weeks).

Is $38,570 a good salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

At $38,570, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 44.7% of the Waterbury-Shelton, CT median household income ($86,191). It is 25% below the $51,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 99.8, so prices here run 0.2% below the U.S. average.