Pay distribution $28,920 10th $30,910 25th $36,890 75th $43,360 90th
Half of Cooks, Restaurant in the Dayton metro area earn more than $35,700 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $30,910 and $36,890.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $28,920 $30,910 $35,700 $36,890 $43,360 Hourly $13.90 $14.86 $17.16 $17.74 $20.85
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Dayton metro areathis metro area
$35,700 median for Dayton metro area; middle half earns $30,910 to $36,890
$35,540 median for Ohio; middle half earns $29,520 to $37,920
$37,390 median for United States; middle half earns $34,010 to $44,620
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is about the same vs Ohio overall and −5% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $23,090 $31,913 $40,737 $49,560 Mayaguez, PR — $23,090 Aguadilla, PR — $23,130 Ponce, PR — $23,350 Guayama, PR — $23,380 Arecibo, PR — $23,970 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $25,500 Monroe, LA — $27,090 Hammond, LA — $27,130 Alexandria, LA — $27,220 Lafayette, LA — $27,660 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $27,690 Laredo, TX — $28,120 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $28,380 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $28,440 Lake Charles, LA — $28,550 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $28,670 Beckley, WV — $28,770 Gadsden, AL — $28,790 Lawton, OK — $28,800 El Paso, TX — $28,990 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $29,050 Rocky Mount, NC — $29,070 Albany, GA — $29,150 Hot Springs, AR — $29,260 Jackson, MS — $29,260 Enid, OK — $29,340 Hattiesburg, MS — $29,360 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $29,370 Charleston, WV — $29,450 Texarkana, TX-AR — $29,490 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $29,550 Jacksonville, NC — $29,580 Victoria, TX — $29,680 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $29,700 Dothan, AL — $29,710 Wheeling, WV-OH — $29,710 Columbus, IN — $29,740 Morgantown, WV — $29,740 Wichita Falls, TX — $29,790 San Angelo, TX — $29,800 Terre Haute, IN — $29,830 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $29,850 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $29,860 Valdosta, GA — $29,880 Baton Rouge, LA — $29,910 Longview, TX — $29,930 Owensboro, KY — $30,010 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $30,030 Johnstown, PA — $30,040 Muncie, IN — $30,050 Elizabethtown, KY — $30,120 Abilene, TX — $30,180 Jonesboro, AR — $30,190 Lubbock, TX — $30,250 Tyler, TX — $30,300 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $30,350 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $30,380 Columbus, GA-AL — $30,470 Killeen-Temple, TX — $30,510 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $30,520 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $30,520 Amarillo, TX — $30,560 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $30,580 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $30,590 Corpus Christi, TX — $30,670 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $30,690 Tuscaloosa, AL — $30,690 Las Cruces, NM — $30,980 Bowling Green, KY — $31,040 Dalton, GA — $31,060 Paducah, KY-IL — $31,200 Mansfield, OH — $31,300 Sumter, SC — $31,370 Waco, TX — $31,500 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $31,650 Sherman-Denison, TX — $31,760 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $32,150 Warner Robins, GA — $32,180 Manhattan, KS — $32,280 Williamsport, PA — $32,340 Decatur, AL — $32,410 Goldsboro, NC — $32,420 College Station-Bryan, TX — $32,630 Fayetteville, NC — $32,720 Burlington, NC — $32,830 Mobile, AL — $33,030 Montgomery, AL — $33,070 Tulsa, OK — $33,410 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $33,540 Erie, PA — $33,550 Rome, GA — $33,620 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $33,730 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $33,770 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $33,850 Joplin, MO-KS — $33,930 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $33,990 Greenville, NC — $34,130 Lima, OH — $34,200 Altoona, PA — $34,210 Evansville, IN — $34,290 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $34,330 Birmingham, AL — $34,340 Topeka, KS — $34,450 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $34,480 Fort Wayne, IN — $34,490 Springfield, OH — $34,490 Wichita, KS — $34,510 Sebring, FL — $34,530 Farmington, NM — $34,540 Florence, SC — $34,550 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $34,550 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $34,600 Winston-Salem, NC — $34,600 Tallahassee, FL — $34,610 Chambersburg, PA — $34,620 Johnson City, TN — $34,620 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $34,650 Jefferson City, MO — $34,670 Homosassa Springs, FL — $34,720 Clarksville, TN-KY — $34,840 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $34,860 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $34,870 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $34,870 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $34,870 Odessa, TX — $34,900 Bloomington, IN — $34,910 Pocatello, ID — $34,920 Roanoke, VA — $34,920 Twin Falls, ID — $34,940 Wilmington, NC — $34,940 Cleveland, TN — $35,030 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $35,050 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $35,050 Lynchburg, VA — $35,080 Springfield, MO — $35,100 Lawrence, KS — $35,140 Albuquerque, NM — $35,190 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $35,190 Logan, UT-ID — $35,210 Columbia, MO — $35,240 Casper, WY — $35,250 Sandusky, OH — $35,250 Cheyenne, WY — $35,300 Kokomo, IN — $35,300 Bloomington, IL — $35,310 Gainesville, GA — $35,310 Gettysburg, PA — $35,350 Sheboygan, WI — $35,360 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $35,380 Winchester, VA-WV — $35,390 Bay City, MI — $35,420 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $35,420 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $35,480 Columbia, SC — $35,490 Jackson, TN — $35,490 Ocala, FL — $35,500 Spartanburg, SC — $35,500 Huntsville, AL — $35,520 Kankakee, IL — $35,560 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $35,560 Toledo, OH — $35,560 Dover, DE — $35,570 St. George, UT — $35,590 Canton-Massillon, OH — $35,600 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $35,600 Dubuque, IA — $35,610 Midland, TX — $35,670 Morristown, TN — $35,670 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $35,680 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $35,690 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $35,700 Cedar Rapids, IA — $35,720 Fond du Lac, WI — $35,720 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $35,720 Gainesville, FL — $35,760 Eau Claire, WI — $35,780 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $35,800 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $35,800 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $35,810 Idaho Falls, ID — $35,830 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $35,900 Iowa City, IA — $35,910 Rapid City, SD — $35,910 Harrisonburg, VA — $35,920 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $35,920 Pueblo, CO — $35,920 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $35,920 Salisbury, MD — $35,940 Savannah, GA — $35,940 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $35,950 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $35,970 State College, PA — $35,990 Saginaw, MI — $36,000 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $36,010 Reading, PA — $36,020 Akron, OH — $36,030 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $36,030 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $36,040 Peoria, IL — $36,040 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $36,070 Yuma, AZ — $36,080 Oklahoma City, OK — $36,130 Pittsburgh, PA — $36,130 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $36,170 Wausau, WI — $36,180 Monroe, MI — $36,200 Rockford, IL — $36,200 Lebanon, PA — $36,250 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $36,260 St. Cloud, MN — $36,270 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $36,270 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $36,280 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $36,280 York-Hanover, PA — $36,310 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $36,340 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $36,350 Flint, MI — $36,350 Minot, ND — $36,390 Ames, IA — $36,410 Lewiston, ID-WA — $36,410 Grand Junction, CO — $36,420 Ogden, UT — $36,430 Decatur, IL — $36,440 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $36,490 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $36,490 Grand Island, NE — $36,500 Lancaster, PA — $36,500 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $36,500 Appleton, WI — $36,520 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $36,520 Knoxville, TN — $36,520 Midland, MI — $36,540 Port St. Lucie, FL — $36,540 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $36,540 Springfield, IL — $36,550 Asheville, NC — $36,590 Columbus, OH — $36,590 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $36,600 Bismarck, ND — $36,610 Great Falls, MT — $36,610 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $36,610 Niles, MI — $36,610 Duluth, MN-WI — $36,680 Jackson, MI — $36,680 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $36,700 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $36,710 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $36,720 Kenosha, WI — $36,730 Punta Gorda, FL — $36,730 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $36,750 Green Bay, WI — $36,760 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $36,760 Jacksonville, FL — $36,770 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $36,800 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $36,810 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $36,820 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $36,830 Vineland, NJ — $36,890 Greeley, CO — $36,900 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $36,920 Charlottesville, VA — $36,960 Elmira, NY — $36,970 Battle Creek, MI — $37,000 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $37,010 Fargo, ND-MN — $37,020 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $37,030 Cleveland, OH — $37,060 Richmond, VA — $37,080 Visalia, CA — $37,090 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $37,100 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $37,120 Lexington Park, MD — $37,170 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $37,180 Mankato, MN — $37,190 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $37,230 Boise City, ID — $37,230 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $37,240 Santa Fe, NM — $37,250 Traverse City, MI — $37,270 Lincoln, NE — $37,290 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $37,310 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $37,360 Kansas City, MO-KS — $37,370 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $37,380 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $37,410 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $37,420 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $37,440 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $37,460 Tucson, AZ — $37,500 Binghamton, NY — $37,530 St. Louis, MO-IL — $37,690 El Centro, CA — $37,710 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $37,800 Omaha, NE-IA — $37,840 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $37,960 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $37,970 Chico, CA — $37,980 Colorado Springs, CO — $38,000 Helena, MT — $38,030 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $38,060 Missoula, MT — $38,080 Rochester, MN — $38,150 Utica-Rome, NY — $38,150 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $38,170 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $38,180 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $38,200 Redding, CA — $38,200 Billings, MT — $38,260 Fresno, CA — $38,260 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $38,270 Ann Arbor, MI — $38,290 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $38,370 Corvallis, OR — $38,380 Rochester, NY — $38,380 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $38,400 Carson City, NV — $38,430 Medford, OR — $38,430 Madison, WI — $38,440 Merced, CA — $38,480 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $38,570 Glens Falls, NY — $38,730 Syracuse, NY — $38,740 Flagstaff, AZ — $38,760 Albany, OR — $38,780 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $38,800 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $38,810 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $38,930 Reno, NV — $38,930 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $38,960 New Haven, CT — $39,100 Grants Pass, OR — $39,110 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $39,150 Yuba City, CA — $39,160 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $39,170 Salem, OR — $39,170 Ithaca, NY — $39,280 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $39,610 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $39,640 Springfield, MA — $39,970 Anchorage, AK — $40,140 Fairbanks-College, AK — $40,150 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $40,250 Bangor, ME — $40,760 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $41,170 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $41,220 Modesto, CA — $41,910 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $42,060 Boulder, CO — $42,220 Bozeman, MT — $42,430 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $42,450 Urban Honolulu, HI — $42,450 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $42,920 Kingston, NY — $43,150 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $43,220 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $43,340 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $43,400 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $43,740 Pittsfield, MA — $43,970 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $44,000 Walla Walla, WA — $44,050 Vallejo, CA — $44,100 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $44,230 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $44,230 Worcester, MA — $44,250 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $44,370 Yakima, WA — $44,390 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $44,460 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $44,510 Bend, OR — $44,540 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $44,550 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $44,560 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $44,680 Salinas, CA — $44,930 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $44,960 Longview-Kelso, WA — $44,980 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $45,200 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $45,280 Bellingham, WA — $45,370 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $45,390 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $45,720 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $45,830 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $46,030 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $46,440 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $46,450 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $46,460 Portland-South Portland, ME — $46,560 Barnstable Town, MA — $46,930 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $47,170 Napa, CA — $47,320 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $47,730 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $49,560 Dayton metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Dayton metro area has the 221st-highest published median for this occupation among the 391 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Ohio Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for cooks, restaurant, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Dayton metro areathis page
$35,700 median for Dayton metro area; middle half earns $30,910 to $36,890
$37,060 median for Cleveland metro area; middle half earns $31,840 to $42,170
$36,590 median for Columbus metro area; middle half earns $31,200 to $38,680
$36,030 median for Akron metro area; middle half earns $29,120 to $37,520
$36,030 median for Cincinnati metro area; middle half earns $29,200 to $37,890
$35,600 median for Canton metro area; middle half earns $30,010 to $37,450
$35,560 median for Toledo metro area; middle half earns $29,660 to $36,960
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .