Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Birmingham, AL
Cooks, Restaurant in the Birmingham, AL metro area earn a median $34,340 a year — 8% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $28,320 take-home, or $2,360 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Birmingham, AL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,941
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,129
- Medicare (1.45%)$498
- Alabama income tax$1,452
- Take-home pay$28,320
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.00% state
Living in Birmingham? City residents also pay Birmingham’s Occupational Tax — about $343 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $27,977 ($2,331 a month). Choose “Birmingham” 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 Birmingham, AL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,500 | $13.70 | $23,920 | $1,993 |
| 25th percentile | $30,210 | $14.52 | $25,208 | $2,101 |
| Median (50th) | $34,340 | $16.51 | $28,320 | $2,360 |
| 75th percentile | $36,620 | $17.61 | $30,038 | $2,503 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $38,590 | $18.55 | $31,523 | $2,627 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Alabama resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $34,340 buys in Birmingham, AL
Prices in Birmingham, AL are 8.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 28% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $28,320 take-home pay has the buying power of $30,902 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 about as common in Birmingham, AL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.85).
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Birmingham, AL ranks #81 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 |
| 81 | Birmingham, AL | $34,340 | $28,320 | $30,902 |
*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 Birmingham, AL?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Birmingham, AL metro area is $34,340 a year, or about $16.51 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,210 and $36,620.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Birmingham, AL?
On the median $34,340 salary, a single filer living in Alabama takes home about $28,320 a year ($2,360 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,452 in Alabama taxes in 2026.
Is Birmingham, AL a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 8% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 8.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $30,902 would in a typical U.S. city. Birmingham, AL ranks #81 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Birmingham, AL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Birmingham, AL is $1,115 a month ($1,234 for two bedrooms) — 47% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Birmingham, AL
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,570
- Food Preparation Worker — $29,260
- Cooks, Fast Food — $28,320
- Waiter and Waitress — $27,670
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $27,220
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,020