Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,620 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Chicago earn between $36,300 and $45,510.
- $32K10th
- $36K25th
- $39KMedian
- $46K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $40,450 | $3,371 | $19.45 |
| Median | $38,930 | $3,244 | $18.72 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,300 | $3,025 | $17.45 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $45,510 | $3,792 | $21.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $40,450, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $32,820 a year, or $2,735 a month and $1,262 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $33,498 | $2,792 |
| Working in IL | $32,820 | $2,735 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $40,450 buys what about $39,046 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 8.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$40,450
- Springfield$37,420
- Champaign$37,020
- Decatur$36,800
- Rockford$36,730
- Kankakee$36,430
- Peoria$36,410
- Bloomington$35,860
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 Chicago: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Chicago?
$19.45 an hour on average, and $18.72 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $32,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,300, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Chicago?
About $32,820 a year ($2,735 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $40,450.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Chicago 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
- 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.02, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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