SOC 35-2014 · Wheeling, WV-OH metro

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Wheeling, WV

The average salary for cooks, restaurant in Wheeling, West Virginia is $31,190 a year ($15.00 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,710: half of the 580 people in this job in the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 20% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($39,073).

$31,190average per year

$15.00 / hourMedian $29,710Take-home ≈ $26,476

  • $23K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

580people in this job
-20%vs U.S. metro average
#2 of 7West Virginia metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Wheeling

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,030 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Wheeling earn between $27,470 and $34,570.

  • $23K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $30KMedian
  • $35K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,190$2,599$15.00
Median$29,710$2,476$14.28
Entry level (25th percentile)$27,470$2,289$13.21
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,570$2,881$16.62

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

Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in Wheeling

On the average salary of $31,190, a single filer in Wheeling takes home about $26,476 a year, or $2,206 a month and $1,018 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Wheeling, WV-OH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in OH$26,832$2,236
Working in WV$26,476$2,206

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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

Prices in the Wheeling area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.3), so the average $31,190 buys what about $35,314 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Wheeling ($44,250). A typical home costs $141,852, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,190 is worth in another city

Cooks, Restaurant salary in other West Virginia cities

Wheeling ranks 2nd of 7 West Virginia metro areas for this job; Weirton pays the most ($31,440).

All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in West Virginia

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 Wheeling: questions

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

$15.00 an hour on average, and $14.28 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,470, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $26,476 a year ($2,206 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,190.

Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Wheeling than elsewhere?

The average here is 20% 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 Wheeling, WV-OH (48540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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