Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Georgia make a median of $35,940 a year, or about $17.28 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.89), which stretches that salary to about $39,112 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,434/month, about 58.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Georgia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Georgia?
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Georgia
Cooks, restaurant pay in Georgia tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,434/month, which is 58.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Georgia
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Georgia
13 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $37K | +4% | 29,040 |
| Savannah | $36K | +0% | 2,570 |
| Gainesville | $35K | -2% | 700 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons | $34K | -4% | 760 |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $34K | -5% | 2,200 |
| Rome | $34K | -6% | 400 |
| Athens-Clarke County | $34K | -7% | 1,120 |
| Warner Robins | $32K | -10% | 780 |
| Macon-Bibb County | $32K | -12% | 970 |
| Dalton | $31K | -14% | 410 |
| Columbus | $30K | -15% | 1,130 |
| Valdosta | $30K | -17% | 680 |
| Albany | $29K | -19% | 470 |
Showing 1–10 of 13 metros
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Georgia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Georgia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 58.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,434/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 Georgia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,450/month. At HUD’s $1,434/month FMR, rent would take 99% 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 Georgia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Georgia compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Georgia pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Georgia?
The median is $35,940 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,160, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $43,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Georgia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,450/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,434/month, which eats 58.5% 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 Georgia?
Georgia has a Regional Price Parity of 91.89 (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 $39,112 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.