Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Kansas
Cooks, Restaurant in Kansas have a median of $35,130 a year, below the national $37,390 (−6%); the state ranks 42nd of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Kansas ($48,010). Among neighbouring states, Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri pay more (up to $41,600 in Colorado) and Oklahoma pays less (down to $31,720 in Oklahoma). Kansas employs 11,620 cooks, restaurant, 8.09 per 1,000 jobs, the 32nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.89 is close to the national share.
Kansas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kansas | Hourly | $12.56 | $14.27 | $16.89 | $18.00 | $21.41 | $16.78 | 11,620 | 8.09 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $26,120 | $29,690 | $35,130 | $37,440 | $44,540 | $34,900 | ||||
| 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
- 42nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 32nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.89
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.09
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Kansas'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 Kansas
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Kansas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $17.97 | $37,370 | $30,560 | $46,550 | 9,940 | 9.07 | 1.00 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $17.09 | $35,560 | $29,640 | $44,910 | 320 | 5.92 | 0.65 |
| Lawrence, KS | $16.89 | $35,140 | $26,430 | $42,130 | 690 | 13.35 | 1.47 |
| Wichita, KS | $16.59 | $34,510 | $24,270 | $42,310 | 2,810 | 9.11 | 1.01 |
| Topeka, KS | $16.56 | $34,450 | $26,040 | $41,880 | 770 | 6.62 | 0.73 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $16.31 | $33,930 | $28,600 | $42,610 | 700 | 8.01 | 0.88 |
| Manhattan, KS | $15.52 | $32,280 | $23,700 | $37,790 | 520 | 9.64 | 1.06 |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $14.26 | $29,650 | $23,300 | $37,370 | 2,670 | 7.15 | 0.79 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Kansas 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 Kansas 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.