SOC 35-2014 · Battle Creek, MI metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Battle Creek, MI

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Battle Creek, Michigan is $37,650 a year ($18.10 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,000: half of the 520 people in this job in the Battle Creek, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).

$37,650average per year

$18.10 / hourMedian $37,000Take-home ≈ $30,760

  • $30K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

520people in this job
-3%vs U.S. average
#5 of 15Michigan metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Battle Creek

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $47,100 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Battle Creek earn between $34,820 and $38,980.

  • $30K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $47K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$37,650$3,138$18.10
Median$37,000$3,083$17.79
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,820$2,902$16.74
Experienced (75th percentile)$38,980$3,248$18.74

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

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Battle Creek vs. Michigan and the U.S.

Cooks, restaurant in Battle Creek earn about the same as the Michigan average ($37,570) and about the same as the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -1% against the U.S. median of $37,390.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Battle Creek$37,650$37,000$29,860$47,100520
Michigan$37,570$36,980$29,570$46,03039,100
United States$38,730$37,390$28,700$47,9001,409,890

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Battle Creek

On the average salary of $37,650, a single filer in Battle Creek takes home about $30,760 a year, or $2,563 a month and $1,183 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 (2025 rules). Includes Battle Creek's local income tax (1%).

Michigan paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Battle Creek area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.5), so the average $37,650 buys what about $41,583 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Battle Creek ($48,690). A typical home costs $189,677, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $37,650 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Michigan cities

Battle Creek ranks 5th of 15 Michigan metro areas for this job; Ann Arbor pays the most ($39,380).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Michigan

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 Battle Creek, MI.

Cooks, Restaurant salary in Battle Creek: questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Battle Creek?

$18.10 an hour on average, and $17.79 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,820, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $30,760 a year ($2,563 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,650. Includes Battle Creek's local income tax (1%).

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Battle Creek than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).

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 Battle Creek, MI (12980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.8%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 (2025 rules). Includes Battle Creek's local income tax (1%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.05, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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