Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Georgia
Cooks, Restaurant in Georgia have a median of $35,940 a year, below the national $37,390 (−4%); the state ranks 36th of 51 states by median. That is 25% less than the median across all occupations in Georgia ($48,170). Among neighbouring states, Florida and Tennessee pay more (up to $37,020 in Florida) and South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama pay less (down to $32,180 in Alabama). Georgia employs 46,350 cooks, restaurant, 9.48 per 1,000 jobs, the 9th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.05 is close to the national share.
Georgia vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $11.62 | $14.03 | $17.28 | $18.19 | $20.77 | $16.56 | 46,350 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $24,160 | $29,190 | $35,940 | $37,840 | $43,210 | $34,430 | ||||
| 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
- 36th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 9th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 9.48
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Georgia'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 Georgia
14 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Georgia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $17.90 | $37,230 | $27,370 | $43,690 | 29,040 | 10.05 | 1.11 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $17.31 | $36,010 | $27,250 | $44,410 | 2,490 | 9.25 | 1.02 |
| Savannah, GA | $17.28 | $35,940 | $26,850 | $46,200 | 2,570 | 12.98 | 1.43 |
| Gainesville, GA | $16.97 | $35,310 | $24,820 | $43,850 | 700 | 6.76 | 0.75 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | $16.58 | $34,480 | $24,130 | $42,250 | 760 | 16.31 | 1.80 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $16.34 | $33,990 | $24,120 | $40,720 | 2,200 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| Rome, GA | $16.16 | $33,620 | $23,850 | $37,950 | 400 | 8.96 | 0.99 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | $16.12 | $33,540 | $23,990 | $40,180 | 1,120 | 11.70 | 1.29 |
| Warner Robins, GA | $15.47 | $32,180 | $23,890 | $37,260 | 780 | 10.32 | 1.14 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $15.22 | $31,650 | $23,880 | $37,690 | 970 | 10.26 | 1.13 |
| Dalton, GA | $14.94 | $31,060 | $22,600 | $37,190 | 410 | 6.29 | 0.69 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $14.65 | $30,470 | $23,000 | $37,310 | 1,130 | 9.75 | 1.08 |
| Valdosta, GA | $14.36 | $29,880 | $22,760 | $35,890 | 680 | 12.63 | 1.39 |
| Albany, GA | $14.01 | $29,150 | $22,880 | $36,870 | 470 | 8.07 | 0.89 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $15.26 | $31,740 | $22,600 | $37,820 | 1,830 | 9.77 | 1.08 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.43 | $30,010 | $22,050 | $36,470 | 820 | 9.28 | 1.02 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.28 | $29,710 | $22,020 | $36,720 | 1,150 | 8.32 | 0.92 |
| South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $14.11 | $29,350 | $21,890 | $36,680 | 1,380 | 7.19 | 0.79 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $17.28 | $35,940 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| Alabama | $15.47 | $32,180 | 16,260 | 0.85 |
| Florida | $17.80 | $37,020 | 124,040 | 1.38 |
| North Carolina | $17.02 | $35,400 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
| South Carolina | $17.18 | $35,740 | 25,890 | 1.24 |
| Tennessee | $17.51 | $36,420 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Georgia 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 Georgia 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.