Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Arkansas make a median of $30,180 a year, or about $14.51 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $34,436 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,021/month, about 49.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arkansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $30K get you in Arkansas?
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Pay for cooks, restaurant in Arkansas runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,021/month, which is 48.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, restaurants.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Arkansas
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $34K | +12% | 2,940 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $31K | +2% | 3,560 |
| Jonesboro | $30K | +0% | 540 |
| Fort Smith | $29K | -3% | 850 |
| Hot Springs | $29K | -3% | 690 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arkansas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 48.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,561/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 65% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, restaurant a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $30K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Arkansas pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Arkansas?
The median is $30,180 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,020, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $37,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,107/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 48.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooks, restaurant salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $34,436 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, restaurants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.