Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in New Jersey make a median of $38,460 a year, or about $18.49 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $38,716 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 77.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Jersey. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in New Jersey?
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Cooks, restaurant pay in New Jersey tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 76.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Jersey
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in New Jersey
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $40K | +5% | 3,370 |
| Trenton-Princeton | $38K | -0% | 1,020 |
| Vineland | $37K | -4% | 260 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 76.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/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 New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $2,067/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 New Jersey?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
New Jersey pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in New Jersey?
The median is $38,460 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $50,010. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,690/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 76.8% 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (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 $38,716 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.