Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Fargo, ND-MN

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Fargo, ND-MN

Median annual salary $36,540 -0.8% vs national
Median hourly $17.57
10th percentile $27,590
90th percentile $45,530
Employed locally 1,570
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power

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Cooks, Restaurant
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Fargo, ND-MN
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $27,590
    25th
    $29,970
    50th (median)
    $36,540
    75th
    $39,380
    90th
    $45,530

    Fargo economic context

    Unemployment rate 2.30% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $75,523 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 48% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 52% 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
    Portland-South Portland, ME $46,960
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,230
    Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $42,050
    Kennewick-Richland, WA $39,340
    Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $39,300
    Naples-Marco Island, FL $39,270

    Related occupations in Fargo, ND-MN

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$30,010
    Waiters and Waitresses$29,210
    Bartenders$27,180
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$43,570
    Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$39,810
    Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$35,500

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Fargo, ND-MN is $17.57, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.94 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Fargo, ND-MN is 0.8% 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 Fargo?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $27,590 per year in Fargo, ND-MN. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,970.