Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Manchester-Nashua, NH make a median of $38,960 a year, or about $18.73 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.66), so that salary is closer to $36,873 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,127/month, about 75.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Manchester-Nashua?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Manchester-Nashua’s Regional Price Parity (105.66). 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 Manchester-Nashua
Cooks, restaurant pay in Manchester-Nashua tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,127/month, which is 76.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.66), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Manchester-Nashua, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $46K | $42K |
| Portland-South Portland | $47K | $46K |
| Worcester | $44K | $43K |
| Barnstable Town | $47K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Manchester-Nashua, NH
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $48K 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 Manchester-Nashua?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 76.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,127/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 Manchester-Nashua?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,992/month. At HUD’s $2,127/month FMR, rent would take 107% 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 Manchester-Nashua?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Manchester-Nashua compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Manchester-Nashua pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Manchester-Nashua, NH?
The median is $38,960 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,200, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $47,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Manchester-Nashua?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,779/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,127/month, which eats 76.5% 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 Manchester-Nashua?
Manchester-Nashua has a Regional Price Parity of 105.66 (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 $36,873 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.