Cooks, Restaurant salary
in South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
- Middle 50%
- $31,200–$36,900
- vs U.S. median
- -5%
- Metro rank
- #275 of 527
Cooks, Restaurant in the South Illinois nonmetropolitan area metro earn a median of $35,680 a year, based on BLS estimates for 1,110 jobs (May 2025). That is 5% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 5% below the IL statewide median of $37,580. It ranks #275 of 527 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE1,110 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 IL metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $38,930 |
| Springfield, IL | $36,550 |
| Decatur, IL | $36,440 |
| Rockford, IL | $36,200 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $36,040 |
| Peoria, IL | $36,040 |
| Kankakee, IL | $35,560 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $35,350 |
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RELATED JOBS IN SOUTH ILLINOIS NONMETROPOLITAN AREA
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Restaurant salary in South Illinois nonmetropolitan area?
The BLS median is $35,680 a year (May 2025). Half of the 1,110 jobs pay between $31,200 and $36,900. The 10th percentile is $31,200 and the 90th is $42,600.
Is South Illinois nonmetropolitan area a high-paying metro for Cooks, Restaurant?
That is 5% below the U.S. median of $37,390 and 5% below the IL statewide median of $37,580. It ranks #275 of 527 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make an hour in South Illinois nonmetropolitan area?
About $17.15 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $35,680 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $15.00–$17.74 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.