Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Minnesota make a median of $38,590 a year, or about $18.55 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $41,674 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,384/month, about 51.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Minnesota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Minnesota?
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What this looks like in Minnesota
Cooks, restaurant pay in Minnesota tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,384/month, which is 52.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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, Minnesota
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Minnesota
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $40K | +3% | 17,760 |
| Rochester | $38K | -1% | 1,060 |
| Mankato | $37K | -4% | 510 |
| Duluth | $37K | -5% | 1,460 |
| St. Cloud | $36K | -6% | 780 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Minnesota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Minnesota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 52.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,384/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 Minnesota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,877/month. At HUD’s $1,384/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Minnesota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Minnesota compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Minnesota pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Minnesota?
The median is $38,590 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,280, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $47,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Minnesota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,647/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,384/month, which eats 52.3% 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (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 $41,674 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.