SOC 35-2014 · Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Sioux City, IA

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Sioux City, Iowa is $36,140 a year ($17.38 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,270: half of the 560 people in this job in the Sioux City, IA-NE-SD metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 8% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).

$36,140average per year

$17.38 / hourMedian $36,270Take-home ≈ $30,457

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

560people in this job
-8%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Iowa metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Sioux City

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,370 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,620 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Sioux City earn between $30,730 and $39,080.

  • $29K10th
  • $31K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,140$3,012$17.38
Median$36,270$3,022$17.44
Entry level (25th percentile)$30,730$2,561$14.77
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,080$3,257$18.79

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

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Sioux City

On the average salary of $36,140, a single filer in Sioux City takes home about $30,457 a year, or $2,538 a month and $1,171 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% 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$31,218$2,602
Working in IA$30,457$2,538
Working in NE$30,454$2,538

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.

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Is Sioux City a good place for cooks, restaurant? 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 $36,140 buys what about $41,803 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Sioux City ($47,030). A typical home costs $225,213, or 6.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,140 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Iowa cities

Sioux City ranks 3rd of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Ames pays the most ($37,170).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).

Cooks, Restaurant salary by city

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Cooks, Restaurant salary in Sioux City: questions

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

$17.38 an hour on average, and $17.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,370 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,730, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $30,457 a year ($2,538 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,140. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Sioux City than elsewhere?

The average here is 8% less 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 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD (43580). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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 0.83, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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