Restaurant cook pay in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA at a glance
Median salary
$35,420$17.03 per hour · $2,952 monthly · BLS May 2025Run 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA after taxes
Restaurant cooks pay range in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (IA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $13.90/hr | $2,409 | $28,910 | $24,962 |
| 25th percentile | $14.66/hr | $2,542 | $30,500 | $26,180 |
| MedianMedian | $17.03/hr | $2,952 | $35,420 | $29,946 |
| 75th percentile | $18.17/hr | $3,150 | $37,800 | $31,768 |
| 90th percentile | $21.24/hr | $3,681 | $44,170 | $36,644 |
Is $35,420 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
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 Iowa 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA: common questions
What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area was $35,420 in May 2025, about $2,952 a month or $17.03 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $35,670, so the metro pays 1% below the state.
What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA was $17.03 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.90 an hour and one in ten earned more than $21.24.
How many restaurant cooks work in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
BLS estimated 670 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 8.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.
What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA run from $28,910 at the 10th percentile to $30,500 at the 25th, $37,800 at the 75th, and $44,170 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.
How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
On a median gross salary of $35,420, an estimated $29,946 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,152 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,474 (an effective rate of 15.5%).
How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
On the median annual salary of $35,420, gross monthly income is $2,952. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,495 per month (or $1,152 every two weeks).
Is $35,420 a good salary in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA?
At $35,420, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 50% of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA median household income ($70,811). It is 25% below the $47,430 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.1, so prices here run 12.9% below the U.S. average.