SOC 35-2014 · Monroe, LA metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Monroe, LA

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Monroe, Louisiana is $27,650 a year ($13.29 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,090: half of the 570 people in this job in the Monroe, LA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 29% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).

$27,650average per year

$13.29 / hourMedian $27,090Take-home ≈ $23,937

  • $21K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

570people in this job
-29%vs U.S. metro average
#10 of 10Louisiana metros
84cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Monroe

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,350 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Monroe earn between $22,560 and $30,010.

  • $21K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$27,650$2,304$13.29
Median$27,090$2,258$13.02
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,560$1,880$10.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$30,010$2,501$14.43

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

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Monroe

On the average salary of $27,650, a single filer in Monroe takes home about $23,937 a year, or $1,995 a month and $921 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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Is Monroe a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Monroe area are 16% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 83.6), so the average $27,650 buys what about $33,075 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Monroe ($38,150). A typical home costs $168,606, or 6.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $27,650 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Louisiana cities

Monroe ranks 10th of 10 Louisiana metro areas for this job; New Orleans pays the most ($32,990).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Louisiana

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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Reviewed before it counts. Cooks, Restaurant in Monroe, LA.

Cooks, Restaurant salary in Monroe: questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Monroe?

$13.29 an hour on average, and $13.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,560, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $23,937 a year ($1,995 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,650.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Monroe than elsewhere?

The average here is 29% 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 Monroe, LA (33740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.2%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.72, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.72).

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