Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Eugene-Springfield, OR make a median of $37,960 a year, or about $18.25 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.57), that's roughly $37,373 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,688/month, about 64.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Eugene-Springfield?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Eugene-Springfield’s Regional Price Parity (101.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Eugene-Springfield
Cooks, restaurant pay in Eugene-Springfield tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,688/month, which is 68.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.57) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Eugene-Springfield, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $45K | $43K |
| Salem | $39K | $38K |
| Bend | $45K | $43K |
| Medford | $38K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Eugene-Springfield, OR
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Restaurant salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $47K | +25% | 35,140 |
| District of Columbia | $46K | +23% | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +22% | 29,570 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +21% | 11,090 |
| Vermont | $45K | +21% | 2,360 |
| Maine | $45K | +21% | 5,130 |
| California | $45K | +20% | 152,250 |
| New York | $44K | +17% | 71,530 |
| Oregon | $43K | +15% | 21,550 |
| Colorado | $42K | +11% | 30,600 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +8% | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $40K | +7% | 2,350 |
| Connecticut | $39K | +6% | 14,830 |
| Arizona | $39K | +3% | 30,870 |
| Nevada | $39K | +3% | 27,250 |
| Minnesota | $39K | +3% | 26,080 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +3% | 28,800 |
| Montana | $38K | +2% | 7,580 |
| Delaware | $38K | +1% | 5,280 |
| Maryland | $38K | +1% | 17,690 |
| Illinois | $38K | +1% | 53,540 |
| Nebraska | $37K | -1% | 4,750 |
| Florida | $37K | -1% | 124,040 |
| Michigan | $37K | -1% | 39,100 |
| Missouri | $37K | -1% | 25,990 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -1% | 2,710 |
| Virginia | $37K | -2% | 40,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -2% | 54,100 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -2% | 25,410 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | -2% | 6,950 |
| Utah | $36K | -2% | 10,520 |
| North Dakota | $36K | -2% | 4,490 |
| Idaho | $36K | -3% | 8,130 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -3% | 28,220 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -3% | 1,890 |
| Georgia | $36K | -4% | 46,350 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -4% | 25,890 |
| Iowa | $36K | -5% | 12,270 |
| Ohio | $36K | -5% | 46,910 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -5% | 50,150 |
| Indiana | $35K | -6% | 26,960 |
| Kansas | $35K | -6% | 11,620 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -6% | 7,810 |
| Texas | $35K | -7% | 126,620 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -7% | 13,510 |
| Alabama | $32K | -14% | 16,260 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -15% | 17,050 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -19% | 11,270 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -21% | 6,450 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -21% | 10,770 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -22% | 14,910 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Eugene-Springfield?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 68.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,688/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Eugene-Springfield?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,069/month. At HUD’s $1,688/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Eugene-Springfield?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Eugene-Springfield compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Eugene-Springfield pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Eugene-Springfield, OR?
The median is $37,960 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,480, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $49,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Eugene-Springfield?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,479/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,688/month, which eats 68.1% 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 Eugene-Springfield?
Eugene-Springfield has a Regional Price Parity of 101.57 (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 $37,373 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.