Cooks, Restaurant · Illinois

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Illinois

Cooks, Restaurant in Illinois earn a median annual wage of $37,580 —0.5% above the national median of $37,390. That ranks IL #21 of 51 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$37,580
Median hourly
$18.07
Entry level (P10)
$31,200
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$46,460
90th percentile
Employment
53,540
8.8 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+0.5%
U.S. $37,390

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$31,200
$35,360
$37,580
$45,010
$31,200$37,580$46,460
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $37,580.

Employment concentration (0.97×) is close to the national average.

Highest-paying states for cooks, restaurant

All 51 states ranked by median annual wage. Illinois is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Washington$46,800$22.5035,1401.09
2District of Columbia$46,130$22.187,7201.21
3Massachusetts$45,600$21.9229,5700.90
4Hawaii$45,420$21.8411,0901.95
5Vermont$45,390$21.822,3600.86
6Maine$45,290$21.785,1300.88
7California$44,880$21.58152,2500.92
8New York$43,680$21.0071,5300.81
9Oregon$43,100$20.7221,5501.21
10Colorado$41,600$20.0030,6001.17

Related occupations in Illinois

Occupations in the same job family, compared within Illinois.

OccupationIllinois medianU.S. median
Fast Food and Counter Workers$33,910$31,200
Waiters and Waitresses$31,200$35,230
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$39,470$44,080
Food Preparation Workers$34,850$35,320
Bartenders$31,200$34,340
Cooks, Fast Food$34,960$30,890

Frequently asked questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make in Illinois?

The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in Illinois is $37,580, or $18.07 per hour. That is 0.5% above the national median of $37,390.

What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in Illinois?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $31,200 per year ($15.00/hour). The 25th percentile is $35,360.

How many people work as cooks, restaurant in Illinois?

About 53,540 people work in this occupation in Illinois, or 8.8 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is Illinois a good state for cooks, restaurant?

Illinois ranks #21 of 51 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment concentration (0.97x) is close to the national average.

Which state pays cooks, restaurant the most?

Washington has the highest median wage at $46,800 per year, followed by District of Columbia ($46,130) and Massachusetts ($45,600).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes