Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Seattle
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,360 a year or less, while the top 10% make $58,660 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Seattle earn between $45,730 and $53,060.
- $38K10th
- $46K25th
- $48KMedian
- $53K75th
- $59K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $49,000 | $4,083 | $23.56 |
| Median | $47,730 | $3,978 | $22.95 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $45,730 | $3,811 | $21.99 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $53,060 | $4,422 | $25.51 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Seattle
On the average salary of $49,000, a single filer in Seattle takes home about $41,552 a year, or $3,463 a month and $1,598 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Is Seattle a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Seattle area are 11% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.1), so the average $49,000 buys what about $44,091 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Seattle ($72,610). A typical home costs $750,279, or 15.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Washington cities
Seattle ranks 1st of 11 Washington metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Seattle$49,000
- Bremerton$46,520
- Mount Vernon$46,240
- Bellingham$45,550
- Kennewick$44,770
- Olympia$44,430
- Wenatchee$44,220
- Spokane$43,580
- Yakima$43,460
- Longview$43,360
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
Does this match what you are paid?
Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.
Share your pay anonymously
Cooks, Restaurant salary in Seattle: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Seattle?
$23.56 an hour on average, and $22.95 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Seattle?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,360 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,730, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Seattle?
About $41,552 a year ($3,463 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $49,000. Washington has no state income tax; Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Seattle than elsewhere?
The average here is 25% more 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (42660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
- 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. Washington's WA Cares (0.58%) and Paid Family and Medical Leave payroll premiums are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.