Cooks, Restaurant pay range in St. Cloud
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,010 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in St. Cloud earn between $34,080 and $40,250.
- $29K10th
- $34K25th
- $36KMedian
- $40K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $37,040 | $3,087 | $17.81 |
| Median | $36,270 | $3,022 | $17.44 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $34,080 | $2,840 | $16.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $40,250 | $3,354 | $19.35 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in St. Cloud
On the average salary of $37,040, a single filer in St. Cloud takes home about $30,779 a year, or $2,565 a month and $1,184 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
Is St. Cloud a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the St. Cloud area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.6), so the average $37,040 buys what about $42,268 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Cloud ($50,840). A typical home costs $318,864, or 8.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Minnesota cities
St. Cloud ranks 4th of 5 Minnesota metro areas for this job; Minneapolis pays the most ($41,850).
- Minneapolis$41,850
- Rochester$39,310
- Mankato$37,700
- St. Cloud$37,040
- Duluth$37,020
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 St. Cloud: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in St. Cloud?
$17.81 an hour on average, and $17.44 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in St. Cloud?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,080, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in St. Cloud?
About $30,779 a year ($2,565 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $37,040. Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in St. Cloud than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% 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 St. Cloud, MN (41060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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). Minnesota Paid Leave premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.83, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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