Cooks, Restaurant salary in Kentucky
The median cooks, restaurant in Kentucky earns $34,640 a year, 7% below the US median. After tax that is roughly $2,386 a month.
- 10th percentile
- $24,750
- 25th percentile
- $28,850
- Median percentile
- $34,640
- 75th percentile
- $37,200
- 90th percentile
- $43,750
Based on 13,510 employed. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025. Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience; reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only an approximation.
What you keep
$28,628 take-home a year
| Gross pay | $34,640 |
| Federal income tax | −$1,977 |
| Social Security + Medicare | −$2,650 |
| Kentucky income tax (approx.) | −$1,386 |
| Monthly take-home | $2,386 |
| Every two weeks | $1,101 |
Does it go far here?
$38,421Median pay in Kentucky is worth this at average US prices (local price level 90.2 vs 100).
41%of take-home pay goes to the median rent ($967 a month, Census ACS).
Top-paying jobs in Kentucky
| Job | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $350,950 |
| Anesthesiologists | $347,960 |
| Physicians, All Other | $327,390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $248,730 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $241,530 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $222,520 |
| Chief Executives | $179,530 |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $169,390 |