Cooks, Restaurant · SOC 35-2014
Cooks, Restaurant Salary in the Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area
Figures describe the Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area, a BLS-defined region outside metropolitan areas — not a single city or town.
Cooks, Restaurant in the Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area earned a median of $30,820 per year ($14.82 per hour) as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $21,590 at the 10th percentile to $36,800 at the 90th. BLS estimates 350 people work in this occupation in the area.
Pay distribution
Half of Cooks, Restaurant in the Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area earn more than $30,820 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $27,100 and $34,940.
| Wage | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual | $21,590 | $27,100 | $30,820 | $34,940 | $36,800 |
| Hourly | $10.38 | $13.03 | $14.82 | $16.80 | $17.69 |
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
- Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area$30,820 median for Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area; middle half earns $27,100 to $34,940
- Alabamastate$32,180 median for Alabama; middle half earns $28,930 to $36,220
- United Statesnational$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 −4% vs Alabama overall and −18% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Other metro areas in Alabama
Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for cooks, restaurant, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
- Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan areathis page$30,820 median for Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area; middle half earns $27,100 to $34,940
- $35,520 median for Huntsville metro area; middle half earns $30,650 to $37,400
- $34,340 median for Birmingham metro area; middle half earns $30,210 to $36,620
- $33,850 median for Daphne metro area; middle half earns $29,400 to $36,550
- $33,070 median for Montgomery metro area; middle half earns $28,900 to $36,340
- $33,030 median for Mobile metro area; middle half earns $29,350 to $36,330
- $32,410 median for Decatur metro area; middle half earns $28,350 to $36,610
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
Keep exploring
Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:
Highest-paying metro areas for cooks, restaurants · Highest-paying occupations in Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area
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.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.