Cooks, Restaurant pay in Tennessee
$36,530avg. a year
$17.56 an hour · 28,220 employed
Cooks, Restaurant in Tennessee earn an average of $36,530 a year. That is $2,200 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $38,730. The best-paying metro area is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN at $39,040.
$36,420Median pay
$17.56Average hourly
+39%Avg. pay since 2020
#34Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Tennessee metro areas
Average pay for cooks, restaurant by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.
110,420 jobs
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$39,040
$18.77 an hour
23,820 jobs
Knoxville, TN
$35,930
$17.28 an hour
34,800 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$35,500
$17.07 an hour
42,490 jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$35,200
$16.92 an hour
5320 jobs
Morristown, TN
$34,870
$16.76 an hour
6490 jobs
Jackson, TN
$34,580
$16.63 an hour
7340 jobs
Cleveland, TN
$34,100
$16.40 an hour
81,020 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$33,800
$16.25 an hour
9780 jobs
Johnson City, TN
$33,670
$16.19 an hour
10880 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$33,520
$16.12 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Restaurant pay in Tennessee, charted
Pay over time
Tennessee, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Tennessee cooks, restaurant work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Tennessee highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $35k$35k–$38k$38k–$42k$42k+Tennessee
Tennessee vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,730 | $18.62 |
| Tennessee | $36,530 | $17.56 |
| Missouri | $38,460 | $18.49 |
| Virginia | $38,180 | $18.36 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 | $16.90 |
| Georgia | $34,430 | $16.56 |
| Kentucky | $33,700 | $16.20 |
Related jobs in Tennessee
- Food Preparation Workers$30,860
- Cooks, Fast Food$29,480
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$35,260
- Cooks, Short Order$31,620
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,870
- Waiters and Waitresses$29,070
Average pay, Tennessee, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, restaurant make in Tennessee?
The average is $36,530 a year, and the median is $36,420. That is $2,200 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $38,730.
What is the hourly wage in Tennessee?
$17.56 an hour on average; the median is $17.51.
Where in Tennessee do they earn the most?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($39,040), followed by Knoxville, TN ($35,930). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Clarksville, TN-KY ($33,520).
How does Tennessee rank?
Tennessee ranks #34 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2014. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, restaurant page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.