Cooks, Restaurant Salary
Cooks, Restaurants in Tennessee make a median of $36,420 a year, or about $17.51 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $40,566 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $36K get you in Tennessee?
About cooks, restaurants
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Cooks, restaurant pay in Tennessee tracks closely to the national median, $36K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 46.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, Tennessee
Entry-level cooks, restaurants (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by metro in Tennessee
10 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $38K | +5% | 10,420 |
| Knoxville | $37K | +0% | 3,820 |
| Memphis | $36K | -0% | 4,800 |
| Chattanooga | $36K | -1% | 2,490 |
| Morristown | $36K | -2% | 320 |
| Jackson | $35K | -3% | 490 |
| Cleveland | $35K | -4% | 340 |
| Clarksville | $35K | -4% | 880 |
| Johnson City | $35K | -5% | 780 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $35K | -5% | 1,020 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, restaurant salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, restaurant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 46.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, restaurants typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,675/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 73% 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 Tennessee?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $36K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for cooks, restaurants?
Tennessee pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, restaurants make in Tennessee?
The median is $36,420 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,910, and experienced cooks, restaurants can clear $45,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,609/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 46.6% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $40,566 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.