Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Ohio
Cooks, Restaurant in Ohio have a median of $35,540 a year, below the national $37,390 (−5%); the state ranks 39th of 51 states by median. That is 28% less than the median across all occupations in Ohio ($49,380). Among neighbouring states, Michigan and Pennsylvania pay more (up to $36,980 in Michigan) and Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia pay less (down to $29,590 in West Virginia). Ohio employs 46,910 cooks, restaurant, 8.45 per 1,000 jobs, the 8th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.93 is close to the national share.
Ohio vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $13.27 | $14.19 | $17.09 | $18.23 | $21.61 | $16.96 | 46,910 | 8.45 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $27,590 | $29,520 | $35,540 | $37,920 | $44,940 | $35,280 | ||||
| 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
- 39th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 8th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.93
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.45
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Ohio'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 Ohio
15 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | $17.82 | $37,060 | $27,790 | $45,580 | 8,190 | 7.94 | 0.88 |
| Columbus, OH | $17.59 | $36,590 | $28,960 | $45,910 | 8,600 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| Akron, OH | $17.32 | $36,030 | $27,860 | $44,420 | 2,820 | 8.84 | 0.97 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $17.32 | $36,030 | $27,250 | $44,880 | 10,810 | 9.82 | 1.08 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $17.16 | $35,700 | $28,920 | $43,360 | 2,960 | 7.95 | 0.88 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | $17.11 | $35,600 | $27,700 | $44,410 | 1,570 | 9.60 | 1.06 |
| Toledo, OH | $17.10 | $35,560 | $28,070 | $44,080 | 2,920 | 10.01 | 1.10 |
| Sandusky, OH | $16.95 | $35,250 | $27,480 | $43,500 | 910 | 18.08 | 1.99 |
| Springfield, OH | $16.58 | $34,490 | $27,410 | $44,100 | 320 | 7.03 | 0.78 |
| Lima, OH | $16.44 | $34,200 | $27,580 | $42,760 | 380 | 7.71 | 0.85 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | $15.46 | $32,150 | $27,900 | $42,950 | 1,600 | 9.96 | 1.10 |
| Mansfield, OH | $15.05 | $31,300 | $27,470 | $41,770 | 480 | 9.84 | 1.09 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH | $14.44 | $30,030 | $23,570 | $37,100 | 320 | 8.83 | 0.97 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | $14.28 | $29,710 | $22,860 | $37,030 | 580 | 9.93 | 1.10 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $14.21 | $29,550 | $22,490 | $37,940 | 1,090 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $14.45 | $30,060 | $23,420 | $38,750 | 1,360 | 9.96 | 1.10 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $14.44 | $30,040 | $23,450 | $38,310 | 1,940 | 7.77 | 0.86 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $14.42 | $30,000 | $26,530 | $39,660 | 1,960 | 7.93 | 0.87 |
| Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $14.38 | $29,920 | $24,910 | $37,350 | 1,460 | 8.94 | 0.99 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $17.09 | $35,540 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| Indiana | $16.91 | $35,170 | 26,960 | 0.93 |
| Kentucky | $16.65 | $34,640 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Michigan | $17.78 | $36,980 | 39,100 | 0.98 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.59 | $36,580 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| West Virginia | $14.23 | $29,590 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Ohio 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 Ohio 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.