SOC 35-2014 · El Paso, TX metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in El Paso, TX

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in El Paso, Texas is $28,970 a year ($13.93 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,990: half of the 3,550 people in this job in the El Paso, TX metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 26% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).

$28,970average per year

$13.93 / hourMedian $28,990Take-home ≈ $25,457

  • $22K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

3,550people in this job
-26%vs U.S. metro average
#22 of 25Texas metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in El Paso

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $34,920 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in El Paso earn between $26,410 and $33,360.

  • $22K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,970$2,414$13.93
Median$28,990$2,416$13.94
Entry level (25th percentile)$26,410$2,201$12.70
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,360$2,780$16.04

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

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in El Paso

On the average salary of $28,970, a single filer in El Paso takes home about $25,457 a year, or $2,121 a month and $979 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.

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

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

Prices in the El Paso area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.9), so the average $28,970 buys what about $32,220 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in El Paso ($39,510). A typical home costs $232,910, or 8.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,970 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Texas cities

El Paso ranks 22nd of 25 Texas metro areas for this job; Austin pays the most ($36,430).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Texas

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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Cooks, Restaurant salary in El Paso: questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in El Paso?

$13.93 an hour on average, and $13.94 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $26,410, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $25,457 a year ($2,121 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,970. Texas has no state income tax.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in El Paso than elsewhere?

The average here is 26% 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 El Paso, TX (21340). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • 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 1.16, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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