Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Maryland
At $37,820 a year, the median for cooks, restaurant in Maryland is close to the national median of $37,390 (+1%); Maryland ranks 20th of 51 states by median. That is 36% less than the median across all occupations in Maryland ($59,510). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia and Delaware pay more (up to $46,130 in District of Columbia) and Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia pay less (down to $29,590 in West Virginia). Maryland employs 17,690 cooks, restaurant, 6.40 per 1,000 jobs, the 25th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.71 means it is less common in Maryland than nationally.
Maryland vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $16.84 | $17.56 | $18.19 | $21.15 | $23.00 | $19.29 | 17,690 | 6.40 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $35,030 | $36,520 | $37,820 | $43,980 | $47,840 | $40,120 | ||||
| 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
- 20th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 25th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.71
- Jobs per 1,000
- 6.40
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maryland'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 Maryland
6 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $20.64 | $42,920 | $35,310 | $49,650 | 29,670 | 9.46 | 1.04 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.40 | $38,270 | $29,750 | $47,010 | 24,220 | 8.36 | 0.92 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $17.99 | $37,420 | $35,250 | $46,870 | 7,760 | 5.72 | 0.63 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $17.87 | $37,170 | $34,190 | $46,300 | 530 | 7.47 | 0.82 |
| Salisbury, MD | $17.28 | $35,940 | $31,200 | $44,780 | 320 | 5.90 | 0.65 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $16.51 | $34,330 | $28,180 | $43,200 | 800 | 7.50 | 0.83 |
| Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $18.02 | $37,490 | $32,190 | $45,800 | 1,690 | 14.94 | 1.65 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $18.19 | $37,820 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| District of Columbia | $22.18 | $46,130 | 7,720 | 1.21 |
| Delaware | $18.19 | $37,840 | 5,280 | 1.20 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.59 | $36,580 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.