Cooks, Restaurant Salary — Bowling Green, Kentucky

The average Cooks, Restaurant in Bowling Green, Kentucky earns $32,510 a year.

$32,510 / year, mean
↓ 16.8% below national average 58th percentile in Kentucky

Bowling Green sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within Kentucky — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's noticeably below the national average for cooks, restaurant, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Kentucky

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
570
Estimate confidence
RSE 1.7%
Cost of living 90 #161 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1461 #33 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $267,047 #125 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $62,437 #157 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Bowling Green ranks #161 for cost of living and #125 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $49,390 Seattle $49,000 San Francisco $48,630 Napa $47,830 Bremerton $46,520 Santa Rosa $46,470 Mount Vernon $46,240 Portland $46,230 San Diego $45,770 Bellingham $45,550 Salinas $45,310 Bend $44,790 Kennewick $44,770 Los Angeles $44,750 Olympia $44,430 Wenatchee $44,220 Vallejo $44,200 Santa Cruz $44,090 Santa Maria $43,580 Spokane $43,580 Yakima $43,460 Longview $43,360 Sacramento $43,220 New York $43,200 Walla Walla $43,170 San Luis Obispo $43,020 Kiryas Joel $42,850 Naples $42,790 Riverside $42,750 Atlantic City $42,690 Grants Pass $42,610 Oxnard $42,550 Stockton $42,430 Kingston $42,230 Modesto $42,220 Yuba City $41,620 Salem $41,510 Ithaca $41,360 Albany $41,320 Utica $41,190 Medford $41,180 Glens Falls $40,950 Corvallis $40,940 Eugene $40,920 Merced $40,920 Albany $40,880 Trenton $40,790 Syracuse $40,660 Buffalo $40,620 Fresno $40,460 Chicago $40,450 Redding $40,390 Rochester $40,250 Hanford $40,190 Chico $40,100 Bakersfield $40,050 El Centro $39,760 Visalia $39,610 Sarasota $39,480 Ann Arbor $39,380 Orlando $39,380 Baltimore $39,330 Fort Myers $39,070 Philadelphia $38,970 Binghamton $38,770 Detroit $38,640 Lexington Park $38,500 Vineland $38,410 Crestview $38,340 Miami $38,300 Elmira $38,280 Traverse City $38,160 Grand Rapids $37,920 Charlottesville $37,910 Sebastian $37,850 Watertown $37,820 Palm Bay $37,780 Port St. Lucie $37,680 Battle Creek $37,650 Tampa $37,560 Punta Gorda $37,430 Springfield $37,420 Jacksonville $37,410 Kalamazoo $37,230 Allentown $37,170 Richmond $37,100 Salisbury $37,090 Lansing $37,030 Champaign $37,020 Deltona $37,000 Wildwood $36,970 Decatur $36,800 Rockford $36,730 Niles $36,720 Gainesville $36,700 Jackson $36,700 Panama City $36,660 Pensacola $36,630 Harrisburg $36,580 Dover $36,570 Virginia Beach $36,530 Austin $36,430 Kankakee $36,430 Peoria $36,410 Midland $36,200 Flint $36,150 Saginaw $36,110 Lakeland $35,960 Staunton $35,900 Muskegon $35,870 Bloomington $35,860 Dallas $35,860 Monroe $35,860 York $35,860 Lebanon $35,630 Sebring $35,620 Harrisonburg $35,600 Lancaster $35,590 Ocala $35,580 Indianapolis $35,550 State College $35,500 Winchester $35,420 Louisville $35,360 Homosassa Springs $35,160 Tallahassee $34,970 Blacksburg $34,840 Lynchburg $34,780 Lexington $34,740 Hagerstown $34,690 Reading $34,570 Gettysburg $34,560 Bay City $34,500 Midland $34,460 Roanoke $34,370 Pittsburgh $34,230 Kokomo $34,190 Elkhart $34,010 South Bend $33,740 Bloomington $33,660 Scranton $33,550 Lafayette $33,300 Evansville $33,210 Odessa $33,210 Fort Wayne $33,180 San Antonio $32,980 Houston $32,970 Chambersburg $32,880 Michigan City $32,800 Columbus $32,610 Williamsport $32,520 Bowling Green $32,510 Paducah $32,510 Altoona $32,360 Erie $32,350 Owensboro $32,240 Sherman $32,220 College Station $31,660 Muncie $31,620 Elizabethtown $31,580 Terre Haute $31,560 Weirton $31,440 Waco $31,420 Beaumont $31,210 Wheeling $31,190 Corpus Christi $31,120 Johnstown $31,000 Amarillo $30,880 Abilene $30,710 Killeen $30,670 Tyler $30,640 Huntington $30,570 Longview $30,520 Lubbock $30,420 San Angelo $30,420 Morgantown $30,290 Wichita Falls $30,010 Victoria $29,760 Charleston $29,730 Beckley $29,570 Texarkana $29,380 Parkersburg $29,240 El Paso $28,970 Brownsville $28,230 McAllen $28,010 Laredo $27,710
CityMean salaryvs. Bowling Green
Abilene, Texas$30,710-5.5%
Albany, Oregon$40,880+25.7%
Albany, New York$41,320+27.1%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$37,170+14.3%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$32,360-0.5%
Amarillo, Texas$30,880-5.0%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$39,380+21.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$42,690+31.3%
Austin, Texas$36,430+12.1%
Bakersfield, California$40,050+23.2%
Baltimore, Maryland$39,330+21.0%
Battle Creek, Michigan$37,650+15.8%
Bay City, Michigan$34,500+6.1%
Beaumont, Texas$31,210-4.0%
Beckley, West Virginia$29,570-9.0%
Bellingham, Washington$45,550+40.1%
Bend, Oregon$44,790+37.8%
Binghamton, New York$38,770+19.3%
Blacksburg, Virginia$34,840+7.2%
Bloomington, Illinois$35,860+10.3%
Bloomington, Indiana$33,660+3.5%
Bremerton, Washington$46,520+43.1%
Brownsville, Texas$28,230-13.2%
Buffalo, New York$40,620+24.9%
Fort Myers, Florida$39,070+20.2%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$32,880+1.1%
Champaign, Illinois$37,020+13.9%
Charleston, West Virginia$29,730-8.6%
Charlottesville, Virginia$37,910+16.6%
Chicago, Illinois$40,450+24.4%
Chico, California$40,100+23.3%
College Station, Texas$31,660-2.6%
Columbus, Indiana$32,610+0.3%
Corpus Christi, Texas$31,120-4.3%
Corvallis, Oregon$40,940+25.9%
Crestview, Florida$38,340+17.9%
Dallas, Texas$35,860+10.3%
Decatur, Illinois$36,800+13.2%
Deltona, Florida$37,000+13.8%
Detroit, Michigan$38,640+18.9%
Dover, Delaware$36,570+12.5%
El Centro, California$39,760+22.3%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$31,580-2.9%
Elkhart, Indiana$34,010+4.6%
Elmira, New York$38,280+17.7%
El Paso, Texas$28,970-10.9%
Erie, Pennsylvania$32,350-0.5%
Eugene, Oregon$40,920+25.9%
Evansville, Indiana$33,210+2.2%
Flint, Michigan$36,150+11.2%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$33,180+2.1%
Fresno, California$40,460+24.5%
Gainesville, Florida$36,700+12.9%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$34,560+6.3%
Glens Falls, New York$40,950+26.0%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$37,920+16.6%
Grants Pass, Oregon$42,610+31.1%
Hagerstown, Maryland$34,690+6.7%
Hanford, California$40,190+23.6%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$36,580+12.5%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$35,600+9.5%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$35,160+8.2%
Houston, Texas$32,970+1.4%
Huntington, West Virginia$30,570-6.0%
Indianapolis, Indiana$35,550+9.4%
Ithaca, New York$41,360+27.2%
Jackson, Michigan$36,700+12.9%
Jacksonville, Florida$37,410+15.1%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$31,000-4.6%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$37,230+14.5%
Kankakee, Illinois$36,430+12.1%
Kennewick, Washington$44,770+37.7%
Killeen, Texas$30,670-5.7%
Kingston, New York$42,230+29.9%
Kiryas Joel, New York$42,850+31.8%
Kokomo, Indiana$34,190+5.2%
Lafayette, Indiana$33,300+2.4%
Lakeland, Florida$35,960+10.6%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$35,590+9.5%
Lansing, Michigan$37,030+13.9%
Laredo, Texas$27,710-14.8%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$35,630+9.6%
Lexington, Kentucky$34,740+6.9%
Lexington Park, Maryland$38,500+18.4%
Longview, Texas$30,520-6.1%
Longview, Washington$43,360+33.4%
Los Angeles, California$44,750+37.6%
Louisville, Kentucky$35,360+8.8%
Lubbock, Texas$30,420-6.4%
Lynchburg, Virginia$34,780+7.0%
McAllen, Texas$28,010-13.8%
Medford, Oregon$41,180+26.7%
Merced, California$40,920+25.9%
Miami, Florida$38,300+17.8%
Michigan City, Indiana$32,800+0.9%
Midland, Michigan$36,200+11.4%
Midland, Texas$34,460+6.0%
Modesto, California$42,220+29.9%
Monroe, Michigan$35,860+10.3%
Morgantown, West Virginia$30,290-6.8%
Mount Vernon, Washington$46,240+42.2%
Muncie, Indiana$31,620-2.7%
Muskegon, Michigan$35,870+10.3%
Napa, California$47,830+47.1%
Naples, Florida$42,790+31.6%
New York, New York$43,200+32.9%
Niles, Michigan$36,720+12.9%
Sarasota, Florida$39,480+21.4%
Ocala, Florida$35,580+9.4%
Odessa, Texas$33,210+2.2%
Olympia, Washington$44,430+36.7%
Orlando, Florida$39,380+21.1%
Owensboro, Kentucky$32,240-0.8%
Oxnard, California$42,550+30.9%
Paducah, Kentucky$32,510+0.0%
Palm Bay, Florida$37,780+16.2%
Panama City, Florida$36,660+12.8%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$29,240-10.1%
Pensacola, Florida$36,630+12.7%
Peoria, Illinois$36,410+12.0%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$38,970+19.9%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$34,230+5.3%
Portland, Oregon$46,230+42.2%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$37,680+15.9%
Punta Gorda, Florida$37,430+15.1%
Reading, Pennsylvania$34,570+6.3%
Redding, California$40,390+24.2%
Richmond, Virginia$37,100+14.1%
Riverside, California$42,750+31.5%
Roanoke, Virginia$34,370+5.7%
Rochester, New York$40,250+23.8%
Rockford, Illinois$36,730+13.0%
Sacramento, California$43,220+32.9%
Saginaw, Michigan$36,110+11.1%
Salem, Oregon$41,510+27.7%
Salinas, California$45,310+39.4%
Salisbury, Maryland$37,090+14.1%
San Angelo, Texas$30,420-6.4%
San Antonio, Texas$32,980+1.4%
San Diego, California$45,770+40.8%
San Francisco, California$48,630+49.6%
San Jose, California$49,390+51.9%
San Luis Obispo, California$43,020+32.3%
Santa Cruz, California$44,090+35.6%
Santa Maria, California$43,580+34.1%
Santa Rosa, California$46,470+42.9%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$33,550+3.2%
Seattle, Washington$49,000+50.7%
Sebastian, Florida$37,850+16.4%
Sebring, Florida$35,620+9.6%
Sherman, Texas$32,220-0.9%
South Bend, Indiana$33,740+3.8%
Spokane, Washington$43,580+34.1%
Springfield, Illinois$37,420+15.1%
State College, Pennsylvania$35,500+9.2%
Staunton, Virginia$35,900+10.4%
Stockton, California$42,430+30.5%
Syracuse, New York$40,660+25.1%
Tallahassee, Florida$34,970+7.6%
Tampa, Florida$37,560+15.5%
Terre Haute, Indiana$31,560-2.9%
Texarkana, Texas$29,380-9.6%
Traverse City, Michigan$38,160+17.4%
Trenton, New Jersey$40,790+25.5%
Tyler, Texas$30,640-5.8%
Utica, New York$41,190+26.7%
Vallejo, California$44,200+36.0%
Victoria, Texas$29,760-8.5%
Vineland, New Jersey$38,410+18.1%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$36,530+12.4%
Visalia, California$39,610+21.8%
Waco, Texas$31,420-3.4%
Walla Walla, Washington$43,170+32.8%
Watertown, New York$37,820+16.3%
Weirton, West Virginia$31,440-3.3%
Wenatchee, Washington$44,220+36.0%
Wheeling, West Virginia$31,190-4.1%
Wichita Falls, Texas$30,010-7.7%
Wildwood, Florida$36,970+13.7%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$32,520+0.0%
Winchester, Virginia$35,420+9.0%
Yakima, Washington$43,460+33.7%
York, Pennsylvania$35,860+10.3%
Yuba City, California$41,620+28.0%
Gross salary
32,510/yr
Estimated take-home
26,631/yr
Est. total withheld
18.1%

Single filer, federal + Kentucky state tax + FICA, 2026 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Kentucky → All Cooks, Restaurant salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-2014 SOC code
Official area Bowling Green, KY BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 14540 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ky_dor_verificado 2026
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Kentucky

Population (metro area)
183,194