Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Albany, NY
Cooks, Restaurant in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area earn a median $39,610 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $32,465 take-home, or $2,705 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Albany, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,573
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,456
- Medicare (1.45%)$574
- New York income tax$1,542
- Take-home pay$32,465
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Albany, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,040 | $16.37 | $28,290 | $2,357 |
| 25th percentile | $37,450 | $18.00 | $30,846 | $2,570 |
| Median (50th) | $39,610 | $19.04 | $32,465 | $2,705 |
| 75th percentile | $44,880 | $21.58 | $36,415 | $3,035 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,630 | $22.42 | $37,726 | $3,144 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $39,610 buys in Albany, NY
Prices in Albany, NY are 0.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.03× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $32,465 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,606 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Restaurant jobs are less concentrated in Albany, NY than nationally (location quotient 0.76), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Albany, NY ranks #34 of 101 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spokane, WA | $44,230 | $37,719 | $37,589 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $46,560 | $37,630 | $36,943 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $47,730 | $40,531 | $36,471 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $47,170 | $38,588 | $34,946 |
| 5 | Worcester, MA | $44,250 | $35,742 | $34,863 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $44,370 | $36,587 | $34,588 |
| 7 | Omaha, NE | $37,840 | $31,742 | $34,536 |
| 8 | Atlantic City, NJ | $40,250 | $33,830 | $34,221 |
| 34 | Albany, NY | $39,610 | $32,465 | $32,606 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 101 metros →
About the job: cooks, restaurant
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +12.1% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Cooks, Restaurant salaries elsewhere in New York
- Buffalo, NY — $38,060
- Rochester, NY — $38,380
- New York, NY — $43,740
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Albany, NY?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area is $39,610 a year, or about $19.04 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,450 and $44,880.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Albany, NY?
On the median $39,610 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $32,465 a year ($2,705 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,542 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is Albany, NY a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 0.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,606 would in a typical U.S. city. Albany, NY ranks #34 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Albany, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Albany, NY is $1,417 a month ($1,702 for two bedrooms) — 52% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Albany, NY
- Waiter and Waitress — $48,980
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $45,330
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $34,060