Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Pennsylvania
Cooks, Restaurant in Pennsylvania have a median of $36,580 a year, below the national $37,390 (−2%); the state ranks 28th of 51 states by median. That is 26% less than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland pay more (up to $43,680 in New York) and Ohio and West Virginia pay less (down to $29,590 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 54,100 cooks, restaurant, 8.92 per 1,000 jobs, the 5th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.98 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $10.89 | $14.37 | $17.59 | $19.09 | $21.69 | $17.19 | 54,100 | 8.92 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $22,650 | $29,890 | $36,580 | $39,710 | $45,120 | $35,750 | ||||
| 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
- 28th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 5th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.98
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.92
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.40 | $38,270 | $29,750 | $47,010 | 24,220 | 8.36 | 0.92 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $17.85 | $37,120 | $27,540 | $46,160 | 3,200 | 8.48 | 0.93 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $17.56 | $36,520 | $26,530 | $47,620 | 2,510 | 7.49 | 0.83 |
| Lancaster, PA | $17.55 | $36,500 | $23,290 | $44,890 | 2,230 | 8.85 | 0.98 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $17.46 | $36,310 | $26,970 | $44,160 | 1,470 | 8.03 | 0.89 |
| Lebanon, PA | $17.43 | $36,250 | $23,990 | $45,160 | 470 | 8.82 | 0.97 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $17.37 | $36,130 | $21,930 | $43,650 | 13,260 | 11.90 | 1.31 |
| Reading, PA | $17.32 | $36,020 | $22,760 | $44,820 | 1,420 | 8.11 | 0.89 |
| State College, PA | $17.30 | $35,990 | $23,860 | $44,510 | 730 | 10.55 | 1.16 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $17.00 | $35,350 | $23,270 | $44,090 | 400 | 12.63 | 1.39 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $16.76 | $34,870 | $21,830 | $43,370 | 2,170 | 8.50 | 0.94 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $16.65 | $34,620 | $22,130 | $42,450 | 500 | 8.22 | 0.91 |
| Altoona, PA | $16.45 | $34,210 | $21,930 | $38,920 | 530 | 8.98 | 0.99 |
| Erie, PA | $16.13 | $33,550 | $22,290 | $39,510 | 1,330 | 11.04 | 1.22 |
| Williamsport, PA | $15.55 | $32,340 | $22,870 | $39,300 | 500 | 10.10 | 1.11 |
| Johnstown, PA | $14.44 | $30,040 | $21,440 | $37,190 | 460 | 9.60 | 1.06 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $16.78 | $34,900 | $22,620 | $44,030 | 1,590 | 12.32 | 1.36 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $15.46 | $32,150 | $22,390 | $42,860 | 1,380 | 9.83 | 1.08 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.69 | $30,560 | $22,320 | $39,780 | 1,360 | 9.11 | 1.00 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $14.65 | $30,460 | $22,360 | $39,220 | 1,500 | 8.00 | 0.88 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $17.59 | $36,580 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| Delaware | $18.19 | $37,840 | 5,280 | 1.20 |
| Maryland | $18.19 | $37,820 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| New Jersey | $18.49 | $38,460 | 28,800 | 0.74 |
| New York | $21.00 | $43,680 | 71,530 | 0.81 |
| Ohio | $17.09 | $35,540 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| West Virginia | $14.23 | $29,590 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.