Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Hickory, NC
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Median annual salary
$34,340
-6.8% vs national
Median hourly
$16.51
10th percentile
$24,290
90th percentile
$43,910
Employed locally
1,340
National median
$36,830
Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power
Type a city below to see how Hickory, NC stacks up on salary and cost of living.
Cooks, Restaurant
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Hickory, NC
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Salary percentile breakdown
Hickory economic context
Unemployment rate
3.60%
2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
Median household income
$60,255
2023 • Census ACS
Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income
57%
Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 43% below the area median household income
Frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Hickory?
The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Hickory, NC is $16.51, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.50 or more per hour.
Is Hickory above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?
The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Hickory, NC is 6.8% 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 Hickory?
Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $24,290 per year in Hickory, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $28,670.