Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Ohio make a median of $35,540 a year, or about $17.09 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.45), which stretches that salary to about $38,863 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,188/month, about 49% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Ohio. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Ohio?
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Ohio
Cooks, restaurant pay in Ohio tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,188/month, which is 47% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.45 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Ohio
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Ohio
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $37K | +4% | 8,190 |
| Columbus | $37K | +3% | 8,600 |
| Cincinnati | $36K | +1% | 10,810 |
| Akron | $36K | +1% | 2,820 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $36K | +0% | 2,960 |
| Canton-Massillon | $36K | +0% | 1,570 |
| Toledo | $36K | +0% | 2,920 |
| Sandusky | $35K | -1% | 910 |
| Springfield | $34K | -3% | 320 |
| Lima | $34K | -4% | 380 |
| Youngstown-Warren | $32K | -10% | 1,600 |
| Mansfield | $31K | -12% | 480 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ohio numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ohio?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 47% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,188/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 Ohio?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,655/month. At HUD’s $1,188/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Ohio?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Ohio compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Ohio pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.45), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Ohio?
The median is $35,540 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,590, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $44,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Ohio?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,528/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,188/month, which eats 47% 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 Ohio?
Ohio has a Regional Price Parity of 91.45 (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 $38,863 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.