Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Lancaster, PA

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Lancaster, PA

Median annual salary $35,780 -2.9% vs national
Median hourly $17.20
10th percentile $21,930
90th percentile $45,050
Employed locally 2,180
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Lancaster, PA stacks up on salary and cost of living.

Full tool →
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Lancaster, PA
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $21,930
    25th
    $30,260
    50th (median)
    $35,780
    75th
    $37,800
    90th
    $45,050

    Lancaster economic context

    Unemployment rate 2.90% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $83,703 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 43% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 57% 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
    Napa, CA $46,270
    San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA $42,290
    Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $39,710
    Grants Pass, OR $37,760
    Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $37,040
    Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $36,750

    Related occupations in Lancaster, PA

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$28,570
    Waiters and Waitresses$29,450
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$39,040
    Bartenders$28,410
    Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$28,550
    Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$37,420

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Lancaster, PA is $17.20, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.58 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Lancaster, PA is 2.9% 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 Lancaster?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $21,930 per year in Lancaster, PA. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $30,260.