Cooks, Restaurant pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood

In Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (IN), the median pay for cooks, restaurant is $17.60 an hour ($36,610 a year). About 9,180 people work in this job there.

$17.60Median hourly pay

$30,390–$38,100Middle half of workers, yearly

9,180People in this job in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (IN)

That is 2% lower than the U.S. median ($37,390). It is 4% higher than the Indiana median ($35,170).

Pay range for cooks, restaurant in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (IN)

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$12.94	$26,910
25% of workers	$14.61	$30,390
Half of workers (median)	$17.60	$36,610
75% of workers	$18.32	$38,100
90% of workers	$21.78	$45,300

Cooks, Restaurant pay in Indiana metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (this page)	$36,610	9,180
Kokomo	$35,300	370
Bloomington	$34,910	930
Lafayette-West Lafayette	$34,870	930
South Bend-Mishawaka	$34,650	1,300
Fort Wayne	$34,490	2,030
Evansville	$34,290	1,330
Elkhart-Goshen	$33,770	640
Muncie	$30,050	460
Michigan City-La Porte	$29,860	490
Terre Haute	$29,830	600
Columbus	$29,740	360

Indiana unemployment rate: 3.3% (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)

Related jobs in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood (IN)

Job	Median yearly pay
Food Preparation Workers	$30,490
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	$36,350
Cooks, Fast Food	$30,500
Food Batchmakers	$40,860
Bakers	$36,870

Other job titles for this job

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

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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.