Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Lincoln, NE
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Lincoln, NE
Median annual salary
$37,060
+0.6% vs national
Median hourly
$17.82
10th percentile
$28,840
90th percentile
$44,460
Employed locally
920
National median
$36,830
Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power
Type a city below to see how Lincoln, NE stacks up on salary and cost of living.
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Lincoln, NE
vs
Salary percentile breakdown
Lincoln economic context
Unemployment rate
2.50%
2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
Median household income
$73,095
2023 • Census ACS
Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income
51%
Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 49% below the area median household income
Frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make per hour in Lincoln?
The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Lincoln, NE is $17.82, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.26 or more per hour.
Is Lincoln above or below average for Cooks, Restaurant salaries?
The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Lincoln, NE is 0.6% above 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 Lincoln?
Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $28,840 per year in Lincoln, NE. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $34,680.