Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Cape Girardeau
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,850 a year or less, while the top 10% make $42,250 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Cape Girardeau earn between $29,870 and $36,510.
- $29K10th
- $30K25th
- $35KMedian
- $37K75th
- $42K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $34,230 | $2,852 | $16.46 |
| Median | $34,870 | $2,906 | $16.76 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $29,870 | $2,489 | $14.36 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,510 | $3,042 | $17.55 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Cape Girardeau vs. Missouri and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Cape Girardeau earn 11% less than the Missouri average ($38,460) and 12% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau | $34,230 | $34,870 | $28,850 | $42,250 | 380 |
| Missouri | $38,460 | $36,940 | $28,890 | $46,970 | 25,990 |
| United States | $38,730 | $37,390 | $28,700 | $47,900 | 1,409,890 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau
On the average salary of $34,230, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $29,012 a year, or $2,418 a month and $1,116 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in MO | $29,012 | $2,418 |
| Working in IL | $28,130 | $2,344 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is Cape Girardeau a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $34,230 buys what about $39,766 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 6.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Missouri cities
Cape Girardeau ranks 7th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Louis pays the most ($40,500).
- St. Louis$40,500
- Kansas City$38,670
- St. Joseph$36,130
- Columbia$35,660
- Springfield$35,370
- Jefferson City$34,640
- Cape Girardeau$34,230
- Joplin$34,150
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 Cape Girardeau: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Cape Girardeau?
$16.46 an hour on average, and $16.77 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Cape Girardeau?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,850 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,870, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Cape Girardeau?
About $29,012 a year ($2,418 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $34,230. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% less than 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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- 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 (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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