Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Durham
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,400 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,170 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Durham earn between $30,290 and $38,480.
- $29K10th
- $30K25th
- $36KMedian
- $38K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,050 | $3,004 | $17.33 |
| Median | $36,170 | $3,014 | $17.39 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $30,290 | $2,524 | $14.56 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $38,480 | $3,207 | $18.50 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Durham vs. North Carolina and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Durham earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($35,140) and 7% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | $36,050 | $36,170 | $29,400 | $46,170 | 2,660 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 | $35,400 | $27,980 | $45,450 | 50,150 |
| 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 Durham
On the average salary of $36,050, a single filer in Durham takes home about $30,216 a year, or $2,518 a month and $1,162 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Durham a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $36,050 buys what about $36,947 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 11.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other North Carolina cities
Durham ranks 4th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($37,110).
- Charlotte$37,110
- Asheville$37,000
- Raleigh$36,350
- Durham$36,050
- Pinehurst$34,630
- Wilmington$34,140
- Greensboro$34,040
- Winston-Salem$33,630
- Burlington$33,300
- Greenville$33,130
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 Durham: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Durham?
$17.33 an hour on average, and $17.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Durham?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,400 a year and the 25th percentile is $30,290, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Durham?
About $30,216 a year ($2,518 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,050.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Durham 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). 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).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.85, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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