Cooks, Restaurant Salary in North Carolina
Cooks, Restaurant in North Carolina have a median of $35,400 a year, below the national $37,390 (−5%); the state ranks 40th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Every neighbouring state pays more: Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina range from $35,740 in South Carolina to $36,750 in Virginia. North Carolina employs 50,150 cooks, restaurant, 10.1 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.12 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $13.45 | $14.28 | $17.02 | $18.35 | $21.85 | $16.90 | 50,150 | 10.15 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $27,980 | $29,690 | $35,400 | $38,170 | $45,450 | $35,140 | ||||
| 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
- 40th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.12
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.15
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina'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 North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $17.80 | $37,030 | $29,210 | $45,980 | 14,430 | 10.63 | 1.17 |
| Asheville, NC | $17.59 | $36,590 | $29,070 | $46,670 | 2,480 | 13.75 | 1.52 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $17.44 | $36,280 | $29,350 | $45,700 | 7,160 | 9.64 | 1.06 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $17.44 | $36,280 | $29,210 | $44,280 | 8,380 | 10.98 | 1.21 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $17.39 | $36,170 | $29,400 | $46,170 | 2,660 | 7.74 | 0.85 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $17.16 | $35,690 | $27,410 | $43,620 | 670 | 15.69 | 1.73 |
| Wilmington, NC | $16.80 | $34,940 | $27,490 | $44,620 | 3,440 | 17.96 | 1.98 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $16.63 | $34,600 | $27,570 | $43,630 | 2,580 | 9.47 | 1.04 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $16.61 | $34,550 | $28,200 | $44,180 | 3,250 | 8.90 | 0.98 |
| Greenville, NC | $16.41 | $34,130 | $27,040 | $43,630 | 890 | 11.00 | 1.21 |
| Burlington, NC | $15.78 | $32,830 | $27,560 | $43,110 | 740 | 10.85 | 1.20 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $15.73 | $32,720 | $26,960 | $38,860 | 1,210 | 9.17 | 1.01 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $15.59 | $32,420 | $26,800 | $37,580 | 420 | 10.37 | 1.14 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $14.60 | $30,380 | $27,720 | $42,630 | 1,410 | 9.14 | 1.01 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $14.22 | $29,580 | $23,930 | $37,450 | 730 | 13.96 | 1.54 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $13.98 | $29,070 | $23,960 | $42,290 | 420 | 7.74 | 0.85 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $15.46 | $32,150 | $28,100 | $44,710 | 3,930 | 15.52 | 1.71 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $15.09 | $31,390 | $27,260 | $44,130 | 2,850 | 10.76 | 1.19 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $14.47 | $30,090 | $23,150 | $39,150 | 1,680 | 7.07 | 0.78 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $17.02 | $35,400 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
| Georgia | $17.28 | $35,940 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| South Carolina | $17.18 | $35,740 | 25,890 | 1.24 |
| Tennessee | $17.51 | $36,420 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
| Virginia | $17.67 | $36,750 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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.