Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Tennessee
Cooks, Restaurant in Tennessee have a median of $36,420 a year, below the national $37,390 (−3%); the state ranks 34th of 51 states by median. That is 23% less than the median across all occupations in Tennessee ($47,380). Among neighbouring states, Missouri and Virginia pay more (up to $36,940 in Missouri) and Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi pay less (down to $29,560 in Mississippi). Tennessee employs 28,220 cooks, restaurant, 8.61 per 1,000 jobs, the 17th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.95 is close to the national share.
Tennessee vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $13.42 | $14.72 | $17.51 | $19.59 | $21.95 | $17.56 | 28,220 | 8.61 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $27,910 | $30,610 | $36,420 | $40,740 | $45,650 | $36,530 | ||||
| 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
- 34th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 17th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.61
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Tennessee'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 Tennessee
10 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $18.35 | $38,170 | $29,360 | $47,180 | 10,420 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| Knoxville, TN | $17.56 | $36,520 | $27,860 | $45,220 | 3,820 | 8.99 | 0.99 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $17.47 | $36,340 | $27,030 | $44,560 | 4,800 | 7.84 | 0.86 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $17.31 | $36,010 | $27,250 | $44,410 | 2,490 | 9.25 | 1.02 |
| Morristown, TN | $17.15 | $35,670 | $26,420 | $44,410 | 320 | 6.86 | 0.76 |
| Jackson, TN | $17.06 | $35,490 | $27,450 | $43,590 | 490 | 5.80 | 0.64 |
| Cleveland, TN | $16.84 | $35,030 | $27,500 | $43,090 | 340 | 7.82 | 0.86 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | $16.75 | $34,840 | $23,360 | $39,660 | 880 | 8.54 | 0.94 |
| Johnson City, TN | $16.65 | $34,620 | $26,920 | $42,790 | 780 | 9.60 | 1.06 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $16.63 | $34,600 | $26,730 | $42,170 | 1,020 | 8.51 | 0.94 |
| East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $17.12 | $35,610 | $28,240 | $43,090 | 2,260 | 16.05 | 1.77 |
| North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $16.78 | $34,910 | $26,830 | $42,720 | 1,030 | 8.94 | 0.99 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $16.38 | $34,060 | $23,210 | $39,270 | 800 | 7.30 | 0.81 |
| West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $16.38 | $34,060 | $22,500 | $42,550 | 910 | 7.72 | 0.85 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $17.51 | $36,420 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
| Alabama | $15.47 | $32,180 | 16,260 | 0.85 |
| Arkansas | $14.51 | $30,180 | 11,270 | 0.95 |
| Georgia | $17.28 | $35,940 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| Kentucky | $16.65 | $34,640 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Missouri | $17.76 | $36,940 | 25,990 | 0.98 |
| Mississippi | $14.21 | $29,560 | 10,770 | 1.02 |
| North Carolina | $17.02 | $35,400 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
| Virginia | $17.67 | $36,750 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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.