Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
3 metro areas in Nevada publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 26,020 jobs. The three largest employers of cooks, restaurant are Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas (22,530 jobs), Reno (3,200 jobs), Carson City (290 jobs), which hold 100.0% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $38,430 to $38,930 a year, against $38,610 for the whole state and $37,390 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $37,390 a year for cooks, restaurant (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $28,700 and the highest-paid tenth over $47,900). Employment is projected to change by +12.1% between 2025 and 2035, with about 218,600 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Cooks, restaurant in Nevada: the highest median pay is in the Reno, NV area ($38,930 a year); the most jobs are in the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV area (22,530). Statewide the median is $38,610 with 27,250 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reno, NV | 3,200 | $38,930 | $28,640 | $47,370 | 1.28 | 49% | 101.0 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 22,530 | $38,800 | $30,390 | $58,520 | 2.19 | 50% | 100.2 |
| Carson City, NV | 290 | $38,430 | $30,340 | $46,950 | 1.00 | 39% | 98.1 |
National page: Cooks, restaurant →Cities of Nevada
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Reno, NV area, with a median of $38,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV area, with 22,530 jobs.