LocalSalaryHub Salary Report
Cooks, Restaurant in Appleton, WI · Generated June 14, 2026
Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Appleton, WI $36,520/yr
$36,520
Mean: $35,740
~$28,486 est. take-home
$17.56
Based on 2,080 hrs/yr
100
100 = national avg
Difficult
Affordability score: 7/100
$72/mo
3%
Salary Distribution
Where the median falls between the 25th and 75th percentile.
25th %
$30,360
Median
$36,520
75th %
$38,750
Median is in the 73th percentile of the typical range
Cooks, Restaurant in other WI cities
Compare the same occupation across cities in WI.
About Cooks, Restaurant salaries in Appleton, WI
Cooks, Restaurant in Appleton, WI earn a median of $36,520 per year, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. The mean salary is $35,740, which tends to skew higher because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Most cooks, restaurant in this area earn between $30,360 and $38,750. Where you land depends on experience, employer type, and whether you have in-demand specializations.
That works out to roughly $17.56 per hour assuming a standard 2,080-hour work year. Actual hourly pay may differ for part-time or contract roles.
Career Outlook
This occupation is tracking close to the national average for job growth. Openings come from a mix of new positions and people retiring or changing careers, with regional variation depending on local industry mix.
Worth knowing: Staying current with industry certifications and picking up adjacent skills (data literacy, project management, or automation tools) is the most reliable way to earn above median in this field.
Cooks, Restaurant Jobs in Appleton, WI
Median: $36,520/yr — browse openings that fit.
Cooks, Restaurant jobs on Indeed
Search thousands of openings
Cooks, Restaurant on LinkedIn
Network & apply
Cooks, Restaurant on ZipRecruiter
AI-matched positions
Cooks, Restaurant on Glassdoor
Salary + reviews
Boost your skills
Courses for Cooks,
External job listings · LocalSalaryHub may earn a referral fee
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary for a cooks, restaurant in Appleton?▾
The median — where half earn more and half earn less — is $36,520. The average (mean) is $35,740, which is higher because top earners pull it up.
How much does a cooks, restaurant make per hour in Appleton?▾
About $17.56/hour, based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. Part-time or overtime hours will change the actual rate.
What is the salary range for cooks, restaurant in Appleton?▾
The middle 50% earn between $30,360 and $38,750. Below $30,360 is typically entry-level; above $38,750 usually means significant experience or specialized skills.
Salary Conversion Table
How does $36,520 per year break down across different time periods?
| Period | Gross | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $36,520 | $28,486 |
| Monthly | $3,043 | $2,374 |
| Biweekly | $1,405 | $1,096 |
| Weekly | $702 | $548 |
| Hourly (40h/wk) | $17.56 | $13.7 |
| Hourly (35h/wk) | $20.07 | $15.65 |
| Hourly (30h/wk) | $23.41 | $18.26 |
| Daily (8h) | $140 | $110 |
Take-home estimates use an effective tax rate of 22%. Actual amounts vary by filing status, deductions, and state tax.
Cooks, Restaurant: Highest-Paying Cities in the U.S.
Top 10 cities nationwide for cooks, restaurant, based on BLS median salary data.
Related Occupations in Appleton
Similar roles in the same field, ranked by national average salary.
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
348 cities
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
346 cities
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
315 cities
Food Preparation Workers
348 cities
Waiters and Waitresses
347 cities
Bartenders
347 cities
Dishwashers
347 cities
Fast Food and Counter Workers
348 cities
Get Salary Alerts
Be the first to know when Cooks, Restaurant salaries change in Appleton, WI.
Free alerts · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
See more salary data
More pages tied to this occupation and region.
- Cooks, Restaurant salaries nationwide — the national median and the highest-paying metros for cooks, restaurant across all states.
- All WI salary data — every occupation we cover in WI, ranked by median pay, plus the cities that pay the most.
- Cooks, Restaurant in Kahului, HI — the top-paying city for cooks, restaurant in our dataset, in case you are weighing a move out of Appleton.
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers salary overview — a closely related role (same SOC major group) with a national median of $40,976.