Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Indiana
Cooks, Restaurant in Indiana have a median of $35,170 a year, below the national $37,390 (−6%); the state ranks 41st of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Indiana ($47,860). Among neighbouring states, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio pay more (up to $37,580 in Illinois) and Kentucky pays less (down to $34,640 in Kentucky). Indiana employs 26,960 cooks, restaurant, 8.42 per 1,000 jobs, the 19th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.93 is close to the national share.
Indiana vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $12.50 | $13.77 | $16.91 | $18.07 | $21.25 | $16.42 | 26,960 | 8.42 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $26,000 | $28,650 | $35,170 | $37,590 | $44,190 | $34,150 | ||||
| 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
- 41st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 19th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.93
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.42
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Indiana'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 Indiana
15 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $18.72 | $38,930 | $32,150 | $46,620 | 41,690 | 9.24 | 1.02 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $17.60 | $36,610 | $26,910 | $45,300 | 9,180 | 8.31 | 0.92 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $17.32 | $36,030 | $27,250 | $44,880 | 10,810 | 9.82 | 1.08 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $17.28 | $35,950 | $27,880 | $44,480 | 5,390 | 7.87 | 0.87 |
| Kokomo, IN | $16.97 | $35,300 | $26,980 | $42,720 | 370 | 10.41 | 1.15 |
| Bloomington, IN | $16.78 | $34,910 | $26,800 | $43,260 | 930 | 12.66 | 1.40 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $16.76 | $34,870 | $25,390 | $43,610 | 930 | 9.11 | 1.01 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $16.66 | $34,650 | $25,960 | $44,190 | 1,300 | 9.86 | 1.09 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $16.58 | $34,490 | $26,000 | $39,860 | 2,030 | 9.01 | 0.99 |
| Evansville, IN | $16.49 | $34,290 | $26,130 | $40,060 | 1,330 | 9.81 | 1.08 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $16.23 | $33,770 | $27,420 | $43,110 | 640 | 5.05 | 0.56 |
| Muncie, IN | $14.45 | $30,050 | $26,230 | $37,170 | 460 | 10.37 | 1.14 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $14.36 | $29,860 | $23,860 | $43,120 | 490 | 11.96 | 1.32 |
| Terre Haute, IN | $14.34 | $29,830 | $23,890 | $38,840 | 600 | 9.27 | 1.02 |
| Columbus, IN | $14.30 | $29,740 | $25,740 | $40,930 | 360 | 7.23 | 0.80 |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $14.35 | $29,840 | $21,650 | $39,650 | 1,510 | 7.20 | 0.79 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $14.18 | $29,490 | $21,620 | $39,650 | 1,330 | 6.77 | 0.75 |
| Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $13.86 | $28,830 | $19,290 | $38,270 | 1,360 | 8.42 | 0.93 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Indiana 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 Indiana 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.