Cooks, Restaurant Salary in New York, NY
Cooks, Restaurant in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $43,740 a year — 17% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $35,560 take-home, or $2,963 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,069
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,712
- Medicare (1.45%)$634
- New York income tax$1,765
- Take-home pay$35,560
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 5.40% state
Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $1,269 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $34,292 ($2,858 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in New York, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $33,040 | $15.88 | $27,540 | $2,295 |
| 25th percentile | $36,740 | $17.66 | $30,314 | $2,526 |
| Median (50th) | $43,740 | $21.03 | $35,560 | $2,963 |
| 75th percentile | $47,310 | $22.75 | $38,236 | $3,186 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $54,240 | $26.08 | $43,430 | $3,619 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $43,740 buys in New York, NY
Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $35,560 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,591 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 New York, NY than nationally (location quotient 0.80), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
New York, NY ranks #61 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 |
| 61 | New York, NY | $43,740 | $35,560 | $31,591 |
*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
- Albany, NY — $39,610
- Rochester, NY — $38,380
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, restaurant make in New York, NY?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $43,740 a year, or about $21.03 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $36,740 and $47,310.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in New York, NY?
On the median $43,740 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $35,560 a year ($2,963 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,765 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is New York, NY a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 17% above the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,591 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #61 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in New York, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 80% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in New York, NY
- Chef and Head Cook — $71,780
- Bartender — $61,220
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $48,690
- Waiter and Waitress — $47,610
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $46,870
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $39,120
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $36,980
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $36,500
- Cooks, Fast Food — $35,780
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,670
- Dishwasher — $35,670
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $35,420