Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Slidell, LA

Cooks, Restaurant in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area earn a median $29,050 a year — 22% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $25,036 take-home, or $2,086 a month.

Median salary

$29,050

$13.97 per hour

Typical range

$22,490 – $37,900

10th to 90th percentile

Jobs in Slidell, LA

1,100

1.24× national concentration

Take-home pay calculator

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

Your take-home pay

$25,036

per year · effective tax rate 13.8%

$2,086Monthly

$1,043Twice a month

$963Every 2 weeks

$12.04Hourly

Federal income tax$1,306
Social Security (6.2%)$1,801
Medicare (1.45%)$421
Louisiana income tax$485
Take-home pay$25,036

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.00% state

Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience in Slidell, LA

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home / yr	Per month
10th percentile (entry level)	$22,490	$10.81	$19,842	$1,654
25th percentile	$24,850	$11.95	$21,715	$1,810
Median (50th)	$29,050	$13.97	$25,036	$2,086
75th percentile	$36,050	$17.33	$30,451	$2,538
90th percentile (top earners)	$37,900	$18.22	$31,882	$2,657

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

What $29,050 buys in Slidell, LA

Prices in Slidell, LA are 7.3% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 15% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, restaurant's $25,036 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,000 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent

$1,130

54% of monthly take-home

2-bedroom rent

$1,331

64% of monthly take-home

Left after 1-BR rent

$956

per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Slidell, LA has 1.2× the national concentration of cooks, restaurant jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

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

Slidell, LA ranks #327 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
327	Slidell, LA	$29,050	$25,036	$27,000

*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 Louisiana

Shreveport, LA — $28,440
Lake Charles, LA — $28,550
Baton Rouge, LA — $29,910
New Orleans, LA — $30,520
Houma, LA — $27,690
Monroe, LA — $27,090
Hammond, LA — $27,130
Lafayette, LA — $27,660

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cooks, restaurant make in Slidell, LA?

The median cooks, restaurant salary in the Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA metro area is $29,050 a year, or about $13.97 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $24,850 and $36,050.

What is a cooks, restaurant’s take-home pay in Slidell, LA?

On the median $29,050 salary, a single filer living in Louisiana takes home about $25,036 a year ($2,086 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $485 in Louisiana taxes in 2026.

Is Slidell, LA a good place to work as a cooks, restaurant?

Pay here is 22% below the national median of $37,390. Local prices are 7.3% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,000 would in a typical U.S. city. Slidell, LA ranks #327 of 327 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a cooks, restaurant afford rent in Slidell, LA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Slidell, LA is $1,130 a month ($1,331 for two bedrooms) — 54% of a median cooks, restaurant’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.