Cooks, Restaurant · Tennessee

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Tennessee

Cooks, Restaurant in Tennessee earn a median annual wage of $36,420 —2.6% below the national median of $37,390. That ranks TN #34 of 51 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$36,420
Median hourly
$17.51
Entry level (P10)
$27,910
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$45,650
90th percentile
Employment
28,220
8.6 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
-2.6%
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
$27,910
$30,610
$36,420
$40,740
$27,910$36,420$45,650
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $36,420.

Employment concentration (0.95×) is close to the national average.

Highest-paying states for cooks, restaurant

All 51 states ranked by median annual wage. Tennessee 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 Tennessee

Occupations in the same job family, compared within Tennessee.

OccupationTennessee medianU.S. median
Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,470$31,200
Waiters and Waitresses$27,760$35,230
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$40,500$44,080
Food Preparation Workers$28,700$35,320
Bartenders$27,480$34,340
Cooks, Fast Food$28,330$30,890

Frequently asked questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make in Tennessee?

The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in Tennessee is $36,420, or $17.51 per hour. That is 2.6% below the national median of $37,390.

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

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $27,910 per year ($13.42/hour). The 25th percentile is $30,610.

How many people work as cooks, restaurant in Tennessee?

About 28,220 people work in this occupation in Tennessee, or 8.6 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is Tennessee a good state for cooks, restaurant?

Tennessee ranks #34 of 51 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment concentration (0.95x) 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