Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Bowling Green
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,480 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Bowling Green earn between $28,700 and $36,000.
- $24K10th
- $29K25th
- $31KMedian
- $36K75th
- $39K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,510 | $2,709 | $15.63 |
| Median | $31,040 | $2,587 | $14.92 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,700 | $2,392 | $13.80 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17.31 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Bowling Green
On the average salary of $32,510, a single filer in Bowling Green takes home about $26,631 a year, or $2,219 a month and $1,024 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).
Is Bowling Green a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Bowling Green area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.2), so the average $32,510 buys what about $36,051 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Bowling Green ($45,040). A typical home costs $267,047, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Kentucky cities
Bowling Green ranks 3rd of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Louisville pays the most ($35,360).
- Louisville$35,360
- Lexington$34,740
- Bowling Green$32,510
- Paducah$32,510
- Owensboro$32,240
- Elizabethtown$31,580
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 Bowling Green: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Bowling Green?
$15.63 an hour on average, and $14.92 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Bowling Green?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Bowling Green?
About $26,631 a year ($2,219 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,510. Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Bowling Green than elsewhere?
The average here is 17% 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 Bowling Green, KY (14540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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). Includes Bowling Green's local income tax (2%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.76, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.76).
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