Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Asheville, NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Asheville, NC

Median annual salary $36,200 -1.7% vs national
Median hourly $17.40
10th percentile $28,080
90th percentile $45,260
Employed locally 2,920
National median $36,830

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Cooks, Restaurant
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Asheville, NC
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $28,080
    25th
    $29,420
    50th (median)
    $36,200
    75th
    $38,340
    90th
    $45,260

    Asheville economic context

    Unemployment rate 4.00% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $69,236 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 52% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 48% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Restaurant

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,320
    Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $46,970
    Portland-South Portland, ME $46,960
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $46,960
    Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area $46,500
    Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $46,340

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Restaurant salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,230
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $39,260
    Anchorage, AK $39,140
    Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $39,110
    Trenton-Princeton, NJ $37,530
    Manchester-Nashua, NH $37,350

    Related occupations in Asheville, NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$29,240
    Waiters and Waitresses$29,820
    Cooks, Fast Food$27,340
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$45,470
    Bartenders$35,130
    Food Preparation Workers$33,190

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Asheville?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Asheville, NC is $17.40, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $22.44 or more per hour.

    Is Asheville above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Asheville, NC is 1.7% below the national median of $36,830. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Restaurant in Asheville?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $28,080 per year in Asheville, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,420.