Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Fort Wayne, IN
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Fort Wayne, IN
Median annual salary
$34,550
-6.2% vs national
Median hourly
$16.61
10th percentile
$26,840
90th percentile
$40,390
Employed locally
2,130
National median
$36,830
Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power
Type a city below to see how Fort Wayne, IN stacks up on salary and cost of living.
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Fort Wayne, IN
vs
Salary percentile breakdown
Fort Wayne economic context
Unemployment rate
3.90%
2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
Median household income
$69,378
2023 • Census ACS
Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income
50%
Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 50% below the area median household income
Frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Fort Wayne?
The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Fort Wayne, IN is $16.61, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $19.16 or more per hour.
Is Fort Wayne above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?
The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Fort Wayne, IN is 6.2% 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 Fort Wayne?
Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $26,840 per year in Fort Wayne, IN. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,070.