Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Lincoln, NE make a median of $37,290 a year, or about $17.93 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.58), which stretches that salary to about $40,718 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,141/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K get you in Lincoln?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lincoln’s Regional Price Parity (91.58). 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 Lincoln
Cooks, restaurant pay in Lincoln tracks closely to the national median, $37K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,141/month, which is 44.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.58 (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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Lincoln, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | $38K | $41K |
| Grand Island | $37K | $42K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $44K | , |
| St. Louis | $38K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lincoln, NE
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $44K 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 Lincoln?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 44.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,141/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 Lincoln?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,775/month. At HUD’s $1,141/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Lincoln?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $37K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Lincoln compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Lincoln pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Lincoln, NE?
The median is $37,290 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,580, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $44,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Lincoln?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,575/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,141/month, which eats 44.3% 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 Lincoln?
Lincoln has a Regional Price Parity of 91.58 (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 $40,718 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.