Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Fresno
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,430 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,130 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Fresno earn between $36,450 and $44,120.
- $35K10th
- $36K25th
- $38KMedian
- $44K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,460 | $3,372 | $19.45 |
| Median | $38,260 | $3,188 | $18.39 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,450 | $3,038 | $17.52 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $44,120 | $3,677 | $21.21 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Fresno
On the average salary of $40,460, a single filer in Fresno takes home about $33,936 a year, or $2,828 a month and $1,305 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Fresno a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Fresno area are 2% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.2), so the average $40,460 buys what about $39,605 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Fresno ($46,910). A typical home costs $409,749, or 10.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other California cities
Fresno ranks 19th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($49,390).
- San Jose$49,390
- San Francisco$48,630
- Napa$47,830
- Santa Rosa$46,470
- San Diego$45,770
- Salinas$45,310
- Los Angeles$44,750
- Vallejo$44,200
- Santa Cruz$44,090
- Fresno$40,460
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in Fresno: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Fresno?
$19.45 an hour on average, and $18.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Fresno?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,430 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,450, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Fresno?
About $33,936 a year ($2,828 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,460. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Fresno than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).
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 35-2014; area Fresno, CA (23420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- 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 (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.69, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.69).
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