Cooks, Restaurant salary
in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
- Middle 50%
- $28,600–$36,230
- vs U.S. median
- -19%
- Metro rank
- #429 of 527
Cooks, Restaurant in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro earn a median of $30,380 a year, based on BLS estimates for 1,410 jobs (May 2025). That is 19% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 14% below the NC statewide median of $35,400. It ranks #429 of 527 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE1,410 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Cooks, Restaurant pay in other NC metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $37,030 |
| Asheville, NC | $36,590 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $36,280 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $36,170 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $35,690 |
| Wilmington, NC | $34,940 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $34,600 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $34,550 |
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RELATED JOBS IN HICKORY
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Restaurant salary in Hickory?
The BLS median is $30,380 a year (May 2025). Half of the 1,410 jobs pay between $28,600 and $36,230. The 10th percentile is $27,720 and the 90th is $42,630.
Is Hickory a high-paying metro for Cooks, Restaurant?
That is 19% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 14% below the NC statewide median of $35,400. It ranks #429 of 527 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour in Hickory?
About $14.61 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $30,380 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $13.75–$17.42 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.