Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Winston, NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Winston-Salem, NC

Median annual salary $34,510 -6.3% vs national
Median hourly $16.59
10th percentile $23,890
90th percentile $43,410
Employed locally 2,760
National median $36,830

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Cooks, Restaurant
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Winston, NC
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $23,890
    25th
    $28,560
    50th (median)
    $34,510
    75th
    $35,820
    90th
    $43,410

    Winston economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $64,282 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Restaurant salary vs area income 54% Median Cooks, Restaurant salary is 46% 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
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,230
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $39,260
    Anchorage, AK $39,140
    Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $39,110
    Trenton-Princeton, NJ $37,530
    Manchester-Nashua, NH $37,350

    Related occupations in Winston, NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Cooks, Fast Food $27,680
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $29,120
    Waiters and Waitresses $22,580
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $39,800
    Food Preparation Workers $28,540
    Bartenders $28,490

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Restaurant in Winston, NC is $16.59, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.98 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Restaurant salary in Winston, NC is 6.3% 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 Winston?

    Entry-level Cooks, Restaurant (10th percentile) earn around $23,890 per year in Winston, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $28,560.