Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Owensboro
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,380 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Owensboro earn between $28,710 and $36,030.
- $24K10th
- $29K25th
- $30KMedian
- $36K75th
- $37K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,240 | $2,687 | $15.50 |
| Median | $30,010 | $2,501 | $14.43 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,710 | $2,392 | $13.80 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,030 | $3,002 | $17.32 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Owensboro
On the average salary of $32,240, a single filer in Owensboro takes home about $26,500 a year, or $2,208 a month and $1,019 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 Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).
Is Owensboro a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Owensboro area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.6), so the average $32,240 buys what about $36,384 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Owensboro ($44,960). A typical home costs $213,657, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Kentucky cities
Owensboro ranks 5th 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 Owensboro: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Owensboro?
$15.50 an hour on average, and $14.43 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Owensboro?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,710, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Owensboro?
About $26,500 a year ($2,208 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,240. Includes Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Owensboro 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 Owensboro, KY (36980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
- 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 Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.98, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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