Cooks, Restaurant pay range in Fond du Lac
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,230 a year or less, while the top 10% make $45,510 or more. The middle half of cooks, restaurant in Fond du Lac earn between $29,900 and $37,640.
- $24K10th
- $30K25th
- $36KMedian
- $38K75th
- $46K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $34,480 | $2,873 | $16.58 |
| Median | $35,720 | $2,977 | $17.17 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $29,900 | $2,492 | $14.38 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,640 | $3,137 | $18.10 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Fond du Lac vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.
Cooks, restaurant in Fond du Lac earn 6% less than the Wisconsin average ($36,690) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($38,730). At the median the gap is -4% against the U.S. median of $37,390.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac | $34,480 | $35,720 | $24,230 | $45,510 | 320 |
| Wisconsin | $36,690 | $36,550 | $28,010 | $46,270 | 25,410 |
| 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 Fond du Lac
On the average salary of $34,480, a single filer in Fond du Lac takes home about $29,073 a year, or $2,423 a month and $1,118 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 Fond du Lac a good place for cooks, restaurant? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Fond du Lac area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.6), so the average $34,480 buys what about $37,624 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Fond du Lac ($50,340). A typical home costs $291,420, or 8.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Restaurant salary in other Wisconsin cities
Fond du Lac ranks 13th of 13 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Madison pays the most ($39,150).
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 Fond du Lac: questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make an hour in Fond du Lac?
$16.58 an hour on average, and $17.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Fond du Lac?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,230 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,900, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, restaurant take-home pay in Fond du Lac?
About $29,073 a year ($2,423 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $34,480.
Do cooks, restaurant earn more in Fond du Lac than elsewhere?
The average here is 11% 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 Fond du Lac, WI (22540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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 0.80, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.80).
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