Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Missouri
At $36,940 a year, the median for cooks, restaurant in Missouri is close to the national median of $37,390 (−1%); Missouri ranks 25th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in Missouri ($47,800). Among neighbouring states, Illinois and Nebraska pay more (up to $37,580 in Illinois) and Tennessee, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arkansas pay less (down to $30,180 in Arkansas). Missouri employs 25,990 cooks, restaurant, 8.85 per 1,000 jobs, the 21st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.98 is close to the national share.
Missouri vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $13.89 | $14.80 | $17.76 | $20.54 | $22.58 | $18.49 | 25,990 | 8.85 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $28,890 | $30,790 | $36,940 | $42,720 | $46,970 | $38,460 | ||||
| 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
- 25th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 21st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.85
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Missouri'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 Missouri
8 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Missouri 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $18.12 | $37,690 | $29,690 | $47,230 | 12,970 | 9.67 | 1.07 |
| 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 |
| Columbia, MO | $16.94 | $35,240 | $28,750 | $44,420 | 990 | 9.23 | 1.02 |
| Springfield, MO | $16.87 | $35,100 | $29,050 | $43,490 | 1,910 | 8.56 | 0.94 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $16.77 | $34,870 | $28,850 | $42,250 | 380 | 8.52 | 0.94 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $16.67 | $34,670 | $28,600 | $42,520 | 460 | 5.68 | 0.63 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $16.31 | $33,930 | $28,600 | $42,610 | 700 | 8.01 | 0.88 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $17.16 | $35,690 | $28,600 | $46,100 | 1,860 | 11.98 | 1.32 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $16.93 | $35,220 | $28,600 | $44,280 | 1,110 | 13.98 | 1.54 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $15.05 | $31,310 | $28,600 | $44,250 | 1,100 | 6.69 | 0.74 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $14.28 | $29,700 | $28,600 | $43,910 | 870 | 8.19 | 0.90 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $17.76 | $36,940 | 25,990 | 0.98 |
| Arkansas | $14.51 | $30,180 | 11,270 | 0.95 |
| Iowa | $17.15 | $35,670 | 12,270 | 0.87 |
| Illinois | $18.07 | $37,580 | 53,540 | 0.97 |
| Kansas | $16.89 | $35,130 | 11,620 | 0.89 |
| Kentucky | $16.65 | $34,640 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Nebraska | $17.81 | $37,030 | 4,750 | 0.51 |
| Oklahoma | $15.25 | $31,720 | 17,050 | 1.10 |
| Tennessee | $17.51 | $36,420 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Missouri 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 Missouri 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.