Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Salt Lake City, UT
Cooks, Restaurant in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area earn a median $36,700 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,983 take-home, or $2,582 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, restaurant salary in Salt Lake City, UT. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,224
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,275
- Medicare (1.45%)$532
- Utah income tax$686
- Take-home pay$30,983
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.50% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Salt Lake City, UT
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $29,000 | $13.94 | $25,143 | $2,095 |
| 25th percentile | $34,110 | $16.40 | $29,018 | $2,418 |
| Median (50th) | $36,700 | $17.64 | $30,983 | $2,582 |
| 75th percentile | $43,370 | $20.85 | $36,042 | $3,004 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $47,300 | $22.74 | $39,023 | $3,252 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Utah resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,700 buys in Salt Lake City, UT
Prices in Salt Lake City, UT are 0.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.23× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $30,983 take-home pay has the buying power of $30,716 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 Salt Lake City, UT than nationally (location quotient 0.61), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, restaurant, adjusted for cost of living
Salt Lake City, UT ranks #88 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 |
| 88 | Salt Lake City, UT | $36,700 | $30,983 | $30,716 |
*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 Salt Lake City, UT?
The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Salt Lake City-Murray, UT metro area is $36,700 a year, or about $17.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,110 and $43,370.
What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT?
On the median $36,700 salary, a single filer living in Utah takes home about $30,983 a year ($2,582 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $686 in Utah taxes in 2026.
Is Salt Lake City, UT a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?
Pay here is 2% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 0.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $30,716 would in a typical U.S. city. Salt Lake City, UT ranks #88 of 101 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Salt Lake City, UT?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Salt Lake City, UT is $1,426 a month ($1,717 for two bedrooms) — 55% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Salt Lake City, UT
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,860
- Food Preparation Worker — $33,370
- Waiter and Waitress — $32,320
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $29,070