Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Michigan
At $36,980 a year, the median for cooks, restaurant in Michigan is close to the national median of $37,390 (−1%); Michigan ranks 24th of 51 states by median. That is 25% less than the median across all occupations in Michigan ($49,270). Michigan pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana range from $35,170 in Indiana to $36,550 in Wisconsin. Michigan employs 39,100 cooks, restaurant, 8.88 per 1,000 jobs, the 11th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.98 is close to the national share.
Michigan vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $14.22 | $16.72 | $17.78 | $20.60 | $22.13 | $18.06 | 39,100 | 8.88 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $29,570 | $34,770 | $36,980 | $42,850 | $46,030 | $37,570 | ||||
| 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
- 24th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 11th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.88
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Michigan'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 Michigan
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | $18.41 | $38,290 | $30,860 | $47,840 | 1,600 | 7.27 | 0.80 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $17.98 | $37,410 | $29,620 | $46,960 | 16,490 | 8.66 | 0.95 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $17.96 | $37,360 | $30,110 | $45,290 | 4,850 | 8.10 | 0.89 |
| Traverse City, MI | $17.92 | $37,270 | $29,690 | $46,510 | 1,060 | 15.44 | 1.70 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $17.84 | $37,100 | $29,500 | $45,180 | 1,850 | 8.50 | 0.94 |
| Battle Creek, MI | $17.79 | $37,000 | $29,860 | $47,100 | 520 | 9.51 | 1.05 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | $17.67 | $36,760 | $29,550 | $46,150 | 1,140 | 9.34 | 1.03 |
| Jackson, MI | $17.63 | $36,680 | $29,310 | $45,380 | 520 | 9.26 | 1.02 |
| Niles, MI | $17.60 | $36,610 | $28,990 | $45,210 | 840 | 14.07 | 1.55 |
| Midland, MI | $17.57 | $36,540 | $29,650 | $44,360 | 260 | 6.88 | 0.76 |
| Flint, MI | $17.48 | $36,350 | $29,230 | $45,560 | 1,330 | 9.82 | 1.08 |
| Monroe, MI | $17.41 | $36,200 | $29,250 | $44,590 | 440 | 10.81 | 1.19 |
| Saginaw, MI | $17.31 | $36,000 | $29,290 | $44,240 | 780 | 9.79 | 1.08 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $17.22 | $35,810 | $28,850 | $44,910 | 600 | 9.70 | 1.07 |
| Bay City, MI | $17.03 | $35,420 | $29,030 | $43,170 | 330 | 9.83 | 1.08 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $16.66 | $34,650 | $25,960 | $44,190 | 1,300 | 9.86 | 1.09 |
| Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.26 | $35,890 | $29,220 | $43,870 | 1,370 | 12.25 | 1.35 |
| Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.21 | $35,800 | $29,120 | $43,950 | 1,660 | 14.12 | 1.56 |
| Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.17 | $35,720 | $25,960 | $44,450 | 1,490 | 11.03 | 1.22 |
| Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $17.00 | $35,360 | $28,700 | $43,350 | 1,580 | 10.34 | 1.14 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Michigan 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 Michigan 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.