Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Paducah
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $26,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,150 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Paducah earn between $29,010 and $36,150.
- $27K10th
- $29K25th
- $31KMedian
- $36K75th
- $37K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,510 | $2,709 | $15.63 |
| Median | $31,200 | $2,600 | $15.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $29,010 | $2,418 | $13.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,150 | $3,012 | $17.38 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Paducah
On the average salary of $32,510, a single filer in Paducah takes home about $26,631 a year, or $2,219 a month and $1,024 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
The Paducah, KY-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IL | $26,834 | $2,236 |
| Working in KY | $26,631 | $2,219 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Paducah's local income tax (2%).
Is Paducah a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Paducah area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $32,510 buys what about $37,765 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Paducah ($45,860). A typical home costs $171,436, or 5.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Kentucky cities
Paducah ranks 4th 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 Paducah: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Paducah?
$15.63 an hour on average, and $15.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Paducah?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $26,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,010, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Paducah?
About $26,631 a year ($2,219 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,510. Includes Paducah's local income tax (2%).
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Paducah 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 Paducah, KY-IL (37140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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 Paducah's local income tax (2%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.07, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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