Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Durham, NC
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Median annual salary
$36,500
-0.9% vs national
Median hourly
$17.55
10th percentile
$23,960
90th percentile
$46,440
Employed locally
2,580
National median
$36,830
Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power
Type a city below to see how Durham, NC stacks up on salary and cost of living.
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Durham, NC
vs
Salary percentile breakdown
Durham economic context
Unemployment rate
3.20%
2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
Median household income
$81,017
2023 • Census ACS
Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income
45%
Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 55% below the area median household income
Frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Durham?
The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Durham, NC is $17.55, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $22.20 or more per hour.
Is Durham above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?
The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Durham, NC is 0.9% 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 Durham?
Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $23,960 per year in Durham, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,880.