Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Indiana: $35,500 Average

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Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET

Average base salary, Indiana

$35,500 / year

≈ $2,950 per month · $17.07 per hour

LocationOr metro areaOr industry

BLS May 2025 state data for Indiana · median $36,500

25th percentile
$29,500Average
$35,50075th percentile
$39,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Cooks, Restaurant salary by state

Alabama$34,000

Alaska$43,000

Arizona$41,500

Arkansas$33,000

California$46,500

Colorado$44,000

Connecticut$43,500

Delaware$40,500

District of Columbia$47,000

Florida$39,500

Georgia$35,500

Hawaii$48,500

Idaho$38,500

Illinois$41,000

Indiana$35,500

Iowa$37,000

Kansas$36,000

Kentucky$35,000

Louisiana$31,500

Maine$47,000

Maryland$41,500

Massachusetts$47,000

Michigan$39,000

Minnesota$41,500

Mississippi$31,000

Missouri$40,000

Montana$40,500

Nebraska$38,500

Nevada$43,500

New Hampshire$43,500

New Jersey$42,000

New Mexico$36,500

New York$44,500

North Carolina$36,500

North Dakota$38,000

Ohio$36,500

Oklahoma$35,000

Oregon$45,500

Pennsylvania$37,000

Rhode Island$41,500

South Carolina$37,000

South Dakota$38,000

Tennessee$38,000

Texas$34,500

Utah$38,500

Vermont$45,000

Virginia$39,500

Washington$49,000

West Virginia$32,000

Wisconsin$38,000

Wyoming$39,500

About this role

Cooks, Restaurant is a professional role within the function in the Food Preparation and Serving job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Cooks, Restaurants do

Typical education: High School Diploma

Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.

Top skills: Time Management Speaking Monitoring Critical Thinking Active Listening Reading Comprehension

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Cooks, Restaurant pay by experience level

Entry level$29,500

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$35,000

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$38,500

Mid-career median pay

Senior$46,000

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$49,500

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

+14.9%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

250,700

projected openings per year

Growing faster than average

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Cooks, Restaurant salary by industry

Food Services and Drinking Places

1,235,200 workers

$39,500

Restaurants and Other Eating Places

1,168,190 workers

$39,500

Accommodation

76,860 workers

$46,500

Traveler Accommodation

76,340 workers

$46,500

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries

48,730 workers

$43,000

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)

40,390 workers

$39,000

Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

36,720 workers

$43,000

Special Food Services

26,620 workers

$43,500

Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing

9,070 workers

$41,000

Beverage Manufacturing

9,070 workers

$41,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Cooks, Restaurant pays 1% below the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).

Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$40,000

Cooks, All Other$40,500

Waiters and Waitresses$41,500

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$38,000

Bartender$42,000

Cooks, Short Order$37,500

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Dishwasher$35,500

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$34,000

Cooks, Fast Food$33,500

Careers related to Cooks, Restaurant

Cooks, Short Order$37,500

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$40,000

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Chefs and Head Cooks$69,000

Baker$40,000

Cooks, Fast Food$33,500

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Cooks, Restaurant make?

The average base salary for a Cooks, Restaurant in the United States is $40,000 per year, or about $19.23 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $35,000 and $46,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Food Preparation and Serving roles?

The Food Preparation and Serving job family averages $40,500 across 18 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
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