Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Charlotte, NC-SC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

Median annual salary $37,090 +0.7% vs national
Median hourly $17.83
10th percentile $28,450
90th percentile $45,750
Employed locally 13,350
National median $36,830

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Cooks, Restaurant
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Charlotte, NC-SC
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $28,450
    25th
    $30,550
    50th (median)
    $37,090
    75th
    $40,510
    90th
    $45,750

    Charlotte economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $80,201 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 46% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 54% 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 Charlotte, NC-SC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$29,070
    Waiters and Waitresses$28,990
    Cooks, Fast Food$28,310
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$45,920
    Bartenders$35,990
    Food Preparation Workers$30,580

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte, NC-SC is $17.83, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $22.11 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Charlotte, NC-SC is 0.7% above 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 Charlotte?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $28,450 per year in Charlotte, NC-SC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $30,550.