Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Kentucky
Cooks, Restaurant in Kentucky have a median of $34,640 a year, below the national $37,390 (−7%); the state ranks 45th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in Kentucky ($46,920). Among neighbouring states, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana pay more (up to $37,580 in Illinois) and West Virginia pays less (down to $29,590 in West Virginia). Kentucky employs 13,510 cooks, restaurant, 6.75 per 1,000 jobs, the 30th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.74 means it is less common in Kentucky than nationally.
Kentucky vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $11.90 | $13.87 | $16.65 | $17.88 | $21.03 | $16.20 | 13,510 | 6.75 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $24,750 | $28,850 | $34,640 | $37,200 | $43,750 | $33,700 | ||||
| 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
- 45th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 30th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.75
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Kentucky'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 Kentucky
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Kentucky 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $17.32 | $36,030 | $27,250 | $44,880 | 10,810 | 9.82 | 1.08 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $17.30 | $35,970 | $28,130 | $43,680 | 2,300 | 8.02 | 0.88 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $17.28 | $35,950 | $27,880 | $44,480 | 5,390 | 7.87 | 0.87 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $16.75 | $34,840 | $23,360 | $39,660 | 880 | 8.54 | 0.94 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $26,770 | $37,150 | 490 | 9.69 | 1.07 |
| Bowling Green, KY | $14.92 | $31,040 | $23,980 | $39,480 | 570 | 6.93 | 0.76 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | $14.48 | $30,120 | $23,470 | $37,270 | 370 | 7.11 | 0.78 |
| Owensboro, KY | $14.43 | $30,010 | $23,640 | $37,380 | 440 | 8.86 | 0.98 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $14.21 | $29,550 | $22,490 | $37,940 | 1,090 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $14.22 | $29,570 | $23,050 | $37,050 | 1,010 | 5.82 | 0.64 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $14.16 | $29,460 | $23,010 | $36,630 | 900 | 5.23 | 0.58 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $13.91 | $28,930 | $22,390 | $36,080 | 890 | 6.93 | 0.76 |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $13.70 | $28,500 | $22,920 | $39,560 | 320 | 3.52 | 0.39 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $16.65 | $34,640 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Illinois | $18.07 | $37,580 | 53,540 | 0.97 |
| Indiana | $16.91 | $35,170 | 26,960 | 0.93 |
| Missouri | $17.76 | $36,940 | 25,990 | 0.98 |
| Ohio | $17.09 | $35,540 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| Tennessee | $17.51 | $36,420 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
| Virginia | $17.67 | $36,750 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
| West Virginia | $14.23 | $29,590 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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.