Cooks, Restaurant pay in Athens-Clarke County

In Athens-Clarke County (GA), the median pay for cooks, restaurant is $16.12 an hour ($33,540 a year). About 1,120 people work in this job there.

$16.12Median hourly pay
$28,530–$35,500Middle half of workers, yearly
1,120People in this job in Athens-Clarke County (GA)

That is 10% lower than the U.S. median ($37,390). It is 7% lower than the Georgia median ($35,940).

Pay range for cooks, restaurant in Athens-Clarke County (GA)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$11.54$23,990
25% of workers$13.72$28,530
Half of workers (median)$16.12$33,540
75% of workers$17.07$35,500
90% of workers$19.32$40,180

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Georgia metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell$37,23029,040
Savannah$35,9402,570
Gainesville$35,310700
Brunswick-St. Simons$34,480760
Augusta-Richmond County$33,9902,200
Rome$33,620400
Athens-Clarke County (this page)$33,5401,120
Warner Robins$32,180780
Macon-Bibb County$31,650970
Dalton$31,060410
Columbus$30,4701,130
Valdosta$29,880680
Albany$29,150470

Georgia unemployment rate: 3.2% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for cooks, restaurant

  • Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
  • Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
  • Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +12.1% over ten years, much faster than average · about 218,600 openings a year (BLS)

Other job titles for this job

CookFRY CookGrill CookLine CookSpecialty CookPrep CookBack Line CookBanquet CookBreakfast CookForeign Food Specialty CookHotel CookLarder Cook

Open cooks, restaurant jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring cooks, restaurant? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job freeFind jobsCheck pay for any job
Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/cooks-restaurant/georgia/athens-clarke-county.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.