Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Wausau, WI

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Wausau, WI

Median annual salary $36,670 -0.4% vs national
Median hourly $17.63
10th percentile $26,970
90th percentile $46,290
Employed locally 510
National median $36,830

Compare Cooks, Restaurant salary & buying power

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

Full tool →
Cooks, Restaurant
in
Wausau, WI
vs

    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $26,970
    25th
    $31,280
    50th (median)
    $36,670
    75th
    $38,390
    90th
    $46,290

    Wausau economic context

    Unemployment rate 2.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $76,185 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
    Lewiston-Auburn, ME $44,100
    Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $39,710
    Kennewick-Richland, WA $39,340
    Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $39,110
    Madison, WI $38,400
    Kenosha, WI $37,570

    Related occupations in Wausau, WI

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $27,890
    Waiters and Waitresses $29,010
    Bartenders $22,100
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $37,490
    Food Preparation Workers $30,930
    Cooks, Fast Food $27,290

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Wausau, WI is $17.63, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.04 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Wausau, WI is 0.4% 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 Wausau?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $26,970 per year in Wausau, WI. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $31,280.