Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Lawrence, KS make a median of $35,140 a year, or about $16.89 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.24), which stretches that salary to about $38,941 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,182/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Lawrence?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lawrence’s Regional Price Parity (90.24). 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 Lawrence
Cooks, restaurant pay in Lawrence tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,182/month, which is 49% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Lawrence, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $35K | $39K |
| Topeka | $34K | $39K |
| Manhattan | $32K | $36K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $44K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lawrence, KS
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $16K 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 Lawrence?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 49% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,182/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 Lawrence?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,586/month. At HUD’s $1,182/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Lawrence?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Lawrence compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Lawrence pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Lawrence, KS?
The median is $35,140 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,430, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $42,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Lawrence?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,411/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,182/month, which eats 49% 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 Lawrence?
Lawrence has a Regional Price Parity of 90.24 (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 $38,941 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.