Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Dayton, OH
Cooks, Restaurant in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area earn a median $35,700 a year — 5% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,666 take-home, or $2,555 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Dayton, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,104
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,213
- Medicare (1.45%)$518
- Ohio income tax$199
- Take-home pay$30,666
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Dayton? City residents also pay Dayton’s city income tax — about $893 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $29,773 ($2,481 a month). Choose “Dayton” 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 Dayton, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $28,920 | $13.90 | $25,404 | $2,117 |
| 25th percentile | $30,910 | $14.86 | $26,949 | $2,246 |
| Median (50th) | $35,700 | $17.16 | $30,666 | $2,555 |
| 75th percentile | $36,890 | $17.74 | $31,589 | $2,632 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $43,360 | $20.85 | $36,610 | $3,051 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $35,700 buys in Dayton, OH
Prices in Dayton, OH are 7.3% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 27% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $30,666 take-home pay has the buying power of $33,083 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 Dayton, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.88).
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Dayton, OH ranks #28 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 |
| 28 | Dayton, OH | $35,700 | $30,666 | $33,083 |
*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 Ohio
- Cleveland, OH — $37,060
- Toledo, OH — $35,560
- Akron, OH — $36,030
- Columbus, OH — $36,590
- Cincinnati, OH — $36,030
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Dayton, OH?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH metro area is $35,700 a year, or about $17.16 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,910 and $36,890.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Dayton, OH?
On the median $35,700 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $30,666 a year ($2,555 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $199 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Dayton, OH a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 5% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 7.3% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $33,083 would in a typical U.S. city. Dayton, OH ranks #28 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Dayton, OH?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Dayton, OH is $1,009 a month ($1,273 for two bedrooms) — 39% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Dayton, OH
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $36,680
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,600
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,680