Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Grand Rapids, MI
Cooks, Restaurant in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area earn a median $37,360 a year — 0% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,862 take-home, or $2,572 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Grand Rapids, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,303
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,316
- Medicare (1.45%)$542
- Michigan income tax$1,337
- Take-home pay$30,862
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Grand Rapids? City residents also pay Grand Rapids’s city income tax — about $560 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $30,301 ($2,525 a month). Choose “Grand Rapids” 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 Grand Rapids, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $30,110 | $14.48 | $25,344 | $2,112 |
| 25th percentile | $35,790 | $17.21 | $29,667 | $2,472 |
| Median (50th) | $37,360 | $17.96 | $30,862 | $2,572 |
| 75th percentile | $39,340 | $18.91 | $32,368 | $2,697 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $45,290 | $21.77 | $36,896 | $3,075 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $37,360 buys in Grand Rapids, MI
Prices in Grand Rapids, MI are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 13% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $30,862 take-home pay has the buying power of $32,300 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 Grand Rapids, MI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.89).
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Grand Rapids, MI ranks #42 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 |
| 42 | Grand Rapids, MI | $37,360 | $30,862 | $32,300 |
*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 Michigan
- Detroit, MI — $37,410
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Grand Rapids, MI?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area is $37,360 a year, or about $17.96 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,790 and $39,340.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Grand Rapids, MI?
On the median $37,360 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $30,862 a year ($2,572 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,337 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Grand Rapids, MI a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 0% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $32,300 would in a typical U.S. city. Grand Rapids, MI ranks #42 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Grand Rapids, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Grand Rapids, MI is $1,242 a month ($1,479 for two bedrooms) — 48% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Grand Rapids, MI
- Waiter and Waitress — $42,930
- Bartender — $38,430
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $37,240
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $28,240