Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Connecticut make a median of $39,480 a year, or about $18.98 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.88), that's roughly $38,375 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,679/month, about 61.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Connecticut. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Connecticut?
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What this looks like in Connecticut
Cooks, restaurant pay in Connecticut tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,679/month, which is 63% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.88) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Connecticut
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Connecticut
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $43K | +10% | 3,970 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $39K | -1% | 4,900 |
| New Haven | $39K | -1% | 2,350 |
| Waterbury-Shelton | $39K | -2% | 1,290 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $38K | -3% | 1,670 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Connecticut numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Connecticut?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 63% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,679/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Connecticut?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,128/month. At HUD’s $1,679/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Connecticut?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Connecticut compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Connecticut pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Connecticut?
The median is $39,480 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,460, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $49,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Connecticut?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,666/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,679/month, which eats 63% 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 Connecticut?
Connecticut has a Regional Price Parity of 102.88 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, restaurant salary is worth about $38,375 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.