Cooks, Restaurant pay range in St. Joseph
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,910 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in St. Joseph earn between $30,700 and $36,990.
- $30K10th
- $31K25th
- $36KMedian
- $37K75th
- $45K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,130 | $3,011 | $17.37 |
| Median | $35,560 | $2,963 | $17.10 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $30,700 | $2,558 | $14.76 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $36,990 | $3,082 | $17.78 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in St. Joseph vs. Missouri and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in St. Joseph earn 6% less than the Missouri average ($38,460) and 7% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -5% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | $36,130 | $35,560 | $29,640 | $44,910 | 320 |
| Missouri | $38,460 | $36,940 | $28,890 | $46,970 | 25,990 |
| United States | $38,730 | $37,390 | $28,700 | $47,900 | 1,409,890 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Restaurant salary after taxes in St. Joseph
On the average salary of $36,130, a single filer in St. Joseph takes home about $30,450 a year, or $2,537 a month and $1,171 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
The St. Joseph, MO-KS metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in MO | $30,450 | $2,537 |
| Working in KS | $29,994 | $2,500 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Is St. Joseph a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the St. Joseph area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.4), so the average $36,130 buys what about $41,826 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in St. Joseph ($47,350). A typical home costs $215,126, or 6.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Missouri cities
St. Joseph ranks 3rd of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Louis pays the most ($40,500).
- St. Louis$40,500
- Kansas City$38,670
- St. Joseph$36,130
- Columbia$35,660
- Springfield$35,370
- Jefferson City$34,640
- Cape Girardeau$34,230
- Joplin$34,150
Highest-paying cities for cooks, restaurant
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($54,460).
- Kahului, HI$54,460
- San Jose, CA$49,390
- Seattle, WA$49,000
- San Francisco, CA$48,630
- Napa, CA$47,830
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Cooks, Restaurant salary in St. Joseph: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in St. Joseph?
$17.37 an hour on average, and $17.09 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in St. Joseph?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in St. Joseph?
About $30,450 a year ($2,537 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,130. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in St. Joseph than elsewhere?
The average here is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,730).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2014; area St. Joseph, MO-KS (41140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.6%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).
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