Cooks, Restaurant salary
in Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
- Middle 50%
- $30,210–$37,840
- vs U.S. median
- -4%
- Metro rank
- #247 of 527
Cooks, Restaurant in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro earn a median of $35,950 a year, based on BLS estimates for 5,390 jobs (May 2025). That is 4% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 4% above the KY statewide median of $34,640. It ranks #247 of 527 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE5,390 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 KY metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $35,970 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $31,200 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $31,040 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $30,120 |
| Owensboro, KY | $30,010 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $29,570 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $29,460 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $28,930 |
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RELATED JOBS IN LOUISVILLE/JEFFERSON COUNTY
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Restaurant salary in Louisville/Jefferson County?
The BLS median is $35,950 a year (May 2025). Half of the 5,390 jobs pay between $30,210 and $37,840. The 10th percentile is $27,880 and the 90th is $44,480.
Is Louisville/Jefferson County a high-paying metro for Cooks, Restaurant?
That is 4% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 4% above the KY statewide median of $34,640. It ranks #247 of 527 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour in Louisville/Jefferson County?
About $17.28 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $35,950 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $14.52–$18.19 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.