Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Rocky Mount, NC make a median of $29,070 a year, or about $13.98 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.01), which stretches that salary to about $33,030 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,143/month, about 54.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Rocky Mount?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rocky Mount’s Regional Price Parity (88.01). 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 Rocky Mount
Pay for cooks, restaurant in Rocky Mount runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,143/month, which is 57% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.01 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, restaurants.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, restaurants in metros near Rocky Mount, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $37K | $38K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $36K | $37K |
| Wilmington | $35K | $36K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $35K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rocky Mount, NC
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $18K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rocky Mount numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rocky Mount?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 57% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,143/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, restaurants in Rocky Mount?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,438/month. At HUD’s $1,143/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Rocky Mount?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $29K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rocky Mount compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Rocky Mount pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.01), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Rocky Mount, NC?
The median is $29,070 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,960, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $42,290. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Rocky Mount?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,007/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,143/month, which eats 57% 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 Rocky Mount?
Rocky Mount has a Regional Price Parity of 88.01 (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 $33,030 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.