Cooks, Restaurant salary in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Cooks, Restaurant in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 North Carolina tax rules.
The figures
The median Cooks, Restaurant in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area earns $37,030 a year ($17.80 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn between $30,250 and $41,840 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $29,210 or less and the top 10 percent earn $45,980 or more. BLS estimates 14,430 Cooks, Restaurant jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area — 10.625 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.17 (above the national concentration). That is 1.0% of all Cooks, Restaurant employment in the United States (1,409,890 jobs nationally). By employment, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC is the #20 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Cooks, Restaurant. In aggregate, Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn about $0.54 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $31,026.00 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC Cooks, Restaurant is about $0.45 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 7.2% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #20 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Cooks, Restaurant. By employment, Cooks, Restaurant is the #15 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Placed against the national distribution for Cooks, Restaurant, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $37,030 falls between the national 25th percentile ($34,010) and the national median ($37,390). Across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median is $49,990 a year — Cooks, Restaurant pay is 25.9% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $17.84 | $37,110 |
| 10th percentile | $14.04 | $29,210 |
| 25th percentile | $14.55 | $30,250 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.80 | $37,030 |
| 75th percentile | $20.11 | $41,840 |
| 90th percentile | $22.11 | $45,980 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC earn 1.6 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($45,980 against $29,210). The middle half spans $11,590 — from $30,250 to $41,840. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($22.11) is 1.57 times the 10th ($14.04). In the upper half of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $41,840 takes home $34,638.00 and the 90th percentile wage of $45,980 takes home $37,799.10 — $3,161.10 more net for $4,140 more gross. Against the median take-home of $30,964.98, the top decile keeps 1.22 times as much. The mean wage of $37,110 sits 0.2% above the median: higher-paid Cooks, Restaurant pull the average up in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC. Among the 30 covered occupations in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, Cooks, Restaurant ranks #23 by median pay. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage ladder of covered occupations, Cooks, Restaurant sits between Stockers and Order Fillers at $37,440 and Waiters and Waitresses at $36,430. Cooks, Restaurant accounts for 1.1% of all employment in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area. The average covered metro employs 24,720 Cooks, Restaurant; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in North Carolina
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in North Carolina; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $37,030.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,263.60 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,295.86 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $536.94 |
| North Carolina income tax | $968.77 |
| Total deductions | $6,065.02 |
| Net pay (annual) | $30,964.98 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,190.96 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.38% of gross |
At the median, $30,964.98 of the $37,030 gross is kept ($1,190.96 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.38%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.43% at the 10th percentile, 14.75% at the 25th percentile, 17.21% at the 75th percentile, 17.79% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $8,850.38 on a gross rise of $11,590.
The same engine at the other published points of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($29,210) | $24,993.58 | $961.29 | 14.43% |
| 25th percentile ($30,250) | $25,787.62 | $991.83 | 14.75% |
| Median ($37,030) | $30,964.98 | $1,190.96 | 16.38% |
| 75th percentile ($41,840) | $34,638.00 | $1,332.23 | 17.21% |
| 90th percentile ($45,980) | $37,799.10 | $1,453.81 | 17.79% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $24,993.58 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,799.10 at the 90th — a spread of $12,805.52 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median wage of $49,990 takes home $40,860.88 a year ($1,571.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 18.26%). The Cooks, Restaurant median take-home of $30,964.98 sits $9,895.90 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC also covers parts of South Carolina. The take-home estimate above uses North Carolina rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the South Carolina paycheck calculator.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Cooks, Restaurant earns $37,390 a year ($17.98 an hour). The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $37,030 is $360 (1.0%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $37,110 a year in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC against $38,730 nationally, a gap of $1,620 (4.2%).
Set against the whole local market, the Cooks, Restaurant 90th percentile of $45,980 is 35% of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC all-occupations 90th percentile ($130,510), and its 10th percentile of $29,210 is 99% of the area-wide 10th ($29,640).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $37,030 | $17.80 | $37,110 |
| United States | $37,390 | $17.98 | $38,730 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$37,030 a year ($17.80 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $37,110 a year. Ranked by median pay, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC stands #20 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $37,030 in North Carolina?
About $30,964.98 a year ($1,190.96 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.38% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $41,840, take-home is $34,638.00.
How does pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC compare with the national median for Cooks, Restaurant?
The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC median of $37,030 is $360 (1.0%) below the national median of $37,390 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $45,980, against a national 90th percentile of $47,900.
How much do the top 10% of Cooks, Restaurant earn in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
$45,980 a year or more ($22.11 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
On $45,980 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $37,799.10 a year ($1,453.81 per biweekly paycheck) in North Carolina under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 17.79%.
How many Cooks, Restaurant jobs are there in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
BLS estimates 14,430 Cooks, Restaurant jobs in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area — 10.625 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Cooks, Restaurant jobs in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
The location quotient is 1.17 — above the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
From $24,993.58 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($29,210) to $37,799.10 at the 90th ($45,980), under the same single-filer assumptions in North Carolina.
What is the total wage bill for Cooks, Restaurant in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC?
About $0.54 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 14,430 multiplied by the mean wage of $37,110.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.