Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Reading, PA

Cooks, Restaurant in the Reading, PA metro area earn a median $36,020 a year — 4% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,016 take-home, or $2,501 a month.

Median salary

$36,020

$17.32 per hour

Typical range

$22,760 – $44,820

10th to 90th percentile

Jobs in Reading, PA

1,420

0.89× national concentration

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Reading, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$30,016

per year · effective tax rate 16.7%

$2,501Monthly

$1,251Twice a month

$1,154Every 2 weeks

$14.43Hourly

Federal income tax$2,142
Social Security (6.2%)$2,233
Medicare (1.45%)$522
Pennsylvania income tax$1,106
Take-home pay$30,016

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state

Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Reading, PA

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home / yr	Per month
10th percentile (entry level)	$22,760	$10.94	$19,654	$1,638
25th percentile	$29,000	$13.94	$24,591	$2,049
Median (50th)	$36,020	$17.32	$30,016	$2,501
75th percentile	$38,130	$18.33	$31,647	$2,637
90th percentile (top earners)	$44,820	$21.55	$36,817	$3,068

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $36,020 buys in Reading, PA

Prices in Reading, PA are 2.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 15% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $30,016 take-home pay has the buying power of $30,925 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent

$1,237

49% of monthly take-home

2-bedroom rent

$1,575

63% of monthly take-home

Left after 1-BR rent

$1,264

per month for everything else

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 Reading, PA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.89).

Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living

Reading, PA ranks #232 of 327 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#	Metro area	Median salary	Take-home	Real value*
1	Yakima, WA	$44,390	$37,847	$39,612
2	Mount Vernon, WA	$46,450	$39,503	$38,561
3	Kennewick, WA	$45,280	$38,562	$38,532
4	Barnstable Town, MA	$46,930	$37,762	$38,395
5	Spokane, WA	$44,230	$37,719	$37,589
6	Bremerton, WA	$46,460	$39,511	$37,413
7	Bellingham, WA	$45,370	$38,635	$37,388
8	Pittsfield, MA	$43,970	$35,531	$37,360
232	Reading, PA	$36,020	$30,016	$30,925

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 327 metros →

Cooks, Restaurant salaries elsewhere in Pennsylvania

Lebanon, PA — $36,250
Altoona, PA — $34,210
Pittsburgh, PA — $36,130
York, PA — $36,310
Scranton, PA — $34,870
State College, PA — $35,990
Philadelphia, PA — $38,270
Lancaster, PA — $36,500

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Reading, PA?

The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Reading, PA metro area is $36,020 a year, or about $17.32 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $29,000 and $38,130.

What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Reading, PA?

On the median $36,020 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $30,016 a year ($2,501 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,106 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.

Is Reading, PA a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?

Pay here is 4% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 2.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $30,925 would in a typical U.S. city. Reading, PA ranks #232 of 327 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Reading, PA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Reading, PA is $1,237 a month ($1,575 for two bedrooms) — 49% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.