SOC 35-2014 · Clarksville, TN-KY metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Clarksville, TN

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Clarksville, Tennessee is $33,520 a year ($16.12 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $34,840: half of the 880 people in this job in the Clarksville, TN-KY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).

$33,520average per year

$16.12 / hourMedian $34,840Take-home ≈ $29,113

  • $23K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $40K90th

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

880people in this job
-13%vs U.S. average
#10 of 10Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Clarksville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $39,660 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Clarksville earn between $28,480 and $37,210.

  • $23K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $37K75th
  • $40K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$33,520$2,793$16.12
Median$34,840$2,903$16.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$28,480$2,373$13.69
Experienced (75th percentile)$37,210$3,101$17.89

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

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Clarksville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Cooks, restaurant in Clarksville earn 8% less than the Tennessee average ($36,530) and 13% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $37,390.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Clarksville$33,520$34,840$23,360$39,660880
Tennessee$36,530$36,420$27,910$45,65028,220
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 Clarksville

On the average salary of $33,520, a single filer in Clarksville takes home about $29,113 a year, or $2,426 a month and $1,120 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

The Clarksville, TN-KY metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$29,113$2,426
Working in KY$28,058$2,338

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Clarksville area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.9), so the average $33,520 buys what about $36,857 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Clarksville ($44,860). A typical home costs $292,990, or 8.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $33,520 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Tennessee cities

Clarksville ranks 10th of 10 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($39,040).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Tennessee

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 Clarksville, TN.

Cooks, Restaurant salary in Clarksville: questions

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

$16.12 an hour on average, and $16.75 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,480, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $29,113 a year ($2,426 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $33,520. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Clarksville than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% 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 Clarksville, TN-KY (17300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.94, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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