Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Iowa
Cooks, Restaurant in Iowa have a median of $35,670 a year, below the national $37,390 (−5%); the state ranks 38th of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Iowa ($48,540). Every neighbouring state pays more: Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin and South Dakota range from $36,220 in South Dakota to $38,590 in Minnesota. Iowa employs 12,270 cooks, restaurant, 7.87 per 1,000 jobs, the 31st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.87 is close to the national share.
Iowa vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $13.79 | $14.60 | $17.15 | $18.36 | $21.38 | $17.16 | 12,270 | 7.87 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $28,690 | $30,360 | $35,670 | $38,180 | $44,460 | $35,700 | ||||
| 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
- 38th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 31st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.87
- Jobs per 1,000
- 7.87
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Iowa'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 Iowa
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | $18.19 | $37,840 | $30,020 | $45,440 | 2,850 | 5.72 | 0.63 |
| Ames, IA | $17.51 | $36,410 | $29,380 | $48,200 | 570 | 10.27 | 1.13 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $17.44 | $36,270 | $29,370 | $45,620 | 560 | 7.48 | 0.83 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $17.34 | $36,070 | $29,670 | $45,010 | 3,320 | 8.23 | 0.91 |
| Iowa City, IA | $17.27 | $35,910 | $29,080 | $43,780 | 1,060 | 11.33 | 1.25 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $17.17 | $35,720 | $28,670 | $44,550 | 1,110 | 7.96 | 0.88 |
| Dubuque, IA | $17.12 | $35,610 | $29,090 | $44,180 | 440 | 7.50 | 0.83 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $17.06 | $35,480 | $30,490 | $43,570 | 1,560 | 8.66 | 0.95 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $17.03 | $35,420 | $28,910 | $44,170 | 670 | 7.97 | 0.88 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $16.55 | $34,430 | $26,570 | $42,220 | 1,200 | 6.01 | 0.66 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $16.52 | $34,370 | $28,180 | $42,610 | 640 | 6.42 | 0.71 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $16.52 | $34,360 | $26,670 | $41,600 | 380 | 5.19 | 0.57 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $15.05 | $31,300 | $27,470 | $39,080 | 980 | 6.74 | 0.74 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Iowa 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 Iowa 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.