Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Arizona
The median for cooks, restaurant in Arizona is $38,670 a year, somewhat above the national $37,390 (+3%); the state ranks 14th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in Arizona ($50,060). Among neighbouring states, California and Colorado pay more (up to $44,880 in California) and Nevada, Utah and New Mexico pay less (down to $35,020 in New Mexico). Arizona employs 30,870 cooks, restaurant, 9.53 per 1,000 jobs, the 13th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.05 is close to the national share.
Arizona vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $15.99 | $17.40 | $18.59 | $21.57 | $22.23 | $19.27 | 30,870 | 9.53 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $33,250 | $36,200 | $38,670 | $44,870 | $46,240 | $40,070 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 14th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 13th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.53
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Arizona's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Arizona
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Arizona publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $18.83 | $39,170 | $34,940 | $46,500 | 21,780 | 9.17 | 1.01 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | $18.63 | $38,760 | $34,310 | $46,370 | 1,230 | 18.49 | 2.04 |
| Tucson, AZ | $18.03 | $37,500 | $31,170 | $44,910 | 3,810 | 9.78 | 1.08 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | $17.97 | $37,380 | $32,010 | $45,900 | 1,150 | 15.88 | 1.75 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $17.65 | $36,720 | $30,580 | $44,400 | 750 | 13.28 | 1.46 |
| Yuma, AZ | $17.35 | $36,080 | $30,670 | $43,890 | 590 | 8.64 | 0.95 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | $17.01 | $35,380 | $30,580 | $41,590 | 300 | 8.98 | 0.99 |
| Arizona nonmetropolitan area | $17.77 | $36,960 | $30,750 | $44,290 | 1,030 | 10.58 | 1.17 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $18.59 | $38,670 | 30,870 | 1.05 |
| California | $21.58 | $44,880 | 152,250 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | $20.00 | $41,600 | 30,600 | 1.17 |
| New Mexico | $16.84 | $35,020 | 7,810 | 0.99 |
| Nevada | $18.56 | $38,610 | 27,250 | 1.94 |
| Utah | $17.55 | $36,490 | 10,520 | 0.67 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Arizona wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Arizona estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.