Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Baltimore, MD
Cooks, Restaurant in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $37,420 a year — 0% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,833 take-home, or $2,569 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,310
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,320
- Medicare (1.45%)$543
- Maryland income tax$1,414
- Take-home pay$30,833
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.75% state
Living in Baltimore City? City residents also pay Baltimore City’s city income tax — about $988 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $29,845 ($2,487 a month). Choose “Baltimore City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,250 | $16.95 | $29,193 | $2,433 |
| 25th percentile | $36,330 | $17.47 | $30,009 | $2,501 |
| Median (50th) | $37,420 | $17.99 | $30,833 | $2,569 |
| 75th percentile | $42,110 | $20.25 | $34,379 | $2,865 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,870 | $22.53 | $37,977 | $3,165 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $37,420 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $30,833 take-home pay has the buying power of $29,509 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 Baltimore, MD than nationally (location quotient 0.63), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #94 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 |
| 94 | Baltimore, MD | $37,420 | $30,833 | $29,509 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Baltimore, MD?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $37,420 a year, or about $17.99 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,330 and $42,110.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $37,420 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $30,833 a year ($2,569 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,414 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 0% above the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $29,509 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #94 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 59% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Baltimore, MD
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,760
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $37,540
- Bartender — $37,360
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,170
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $35,710
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,080
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $34,320
- Cooks, Fast Food — $33,290
- Dishwasher — $33,280
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $33,090