SOC 35-2011 · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Sioux City, IA

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Sioux City, Iowa is $27,530 a year ($13.24 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,390: half of the 480 people in this job in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

$27,530average per year

$13.24 / hourMedian $28,390Take-home ≈ $23,847

  • $16K10th
  • $16K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

480people in this job
-15%vs U.S. average
#6 of 6Iowa metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Sioux City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,160 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Sioux City earn between $15,630 and $34,790.

  • $16K10th
  • $16K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$27,530$2,294$13.24
Median$28,390$2,366$13.65
Entry level (25th percentile)$15,630$1,302$7.51
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,790$2,899$16.73

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Fast Food pay in Sioux City vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Cooks, fast food in Sioux City earn about the same as the Iowa average ($27,600) and 15% less than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $30,890.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Sioux City$27,530$28,390$15,630$37,160480
Iowa$27,600$28,510$15,080$40,8108,290
United States$32,390$30,890$22,580$42,910641,070

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Sioux City

On the average salary of $27,530, a single filer in Sioux City takes home about $23,847 a year, or $1,987 a month and $917 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

The Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in SD$24,281$2,023
Working in IA$23,847$1,987
Working in NE$23,845$1,987

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Sioux City a good place for cooks, fast food? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Sioux City area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.5), so the average $27,530 buys what about $31,844 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Sioux City ($47,030). A typical home costs $225,213, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $27,530 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other Iowa cities

Sioux City ranks 6th of 6 Iowa metro areas for this job; Des Moines pays the most ($29,290).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for cooks, fast food

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,590).

Cooks, Fast Food salary by city

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Cooks, Fast Food salary in Sioux City: questions

How much do cooks, fast food make an hour in Sioux City?

$13.24 an hour on average, and $13.65 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, fast food salary in Sioux City?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $15,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $15,630, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, fast food take-home pay in Sioux City?

About $23,847 a year ($1,987 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,530. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do cooks, fast food earn more in Sioux City than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2011; area Sioux City, IA-NE-SD (43580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.55, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.