SOC 35-2012 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria wages by metro
National median annual wage
$37,450
- 10th percentile
- $28,480
- 25th percentile
- $32,440
- Median
- $37,450
- 75th percentile
- $44,800
- 90th percentile
- $49,670
- Mean
- $38,810
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 441,050.
That median is 26.5% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 250 | $38,580 | $55,400 | $74,490 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 2,640 | $45,660 | $51,880 | $67,750 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | 240 | $40,240 | $51,620 | $60,930 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 5,380 | $45,250 | $51,530 | $63,510 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 170 | $39,680 | $49,720 | $72,480 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | 170 | $45,110 | $49,340 | $58,460 |
| Bellingham, WA | 250 | $39,410 | $49,320 | $59,700 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 240 | $39,130 | $49,280 | $60,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,280 | $40,920 | $49,140 | $63,710 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 290 | $39,200 | $48,820 | $61,210 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 5,310 | $39,890 | $48,530 | $59,090 |
| Anchorage, AK | 530 | $38,250 | $48,290 | $58,300 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 430 | $37,530 | $48,210 | $58,920 |
| Napa, CA | 130 | $38,760 | $48,060 | $60,640 |
| Boulder, CO | 820 | $37,060 | $48,020 | $59,430 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 170 | $37,710 | $47,740 | $57,580 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | 490 | $38,890 | $47,390 | $59,830 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 1,100 | $41,600 | $47,380 | $59,580 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 80 | $37,140 | $47,310 | $59,530 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 420 | $39,140 | $47,260 | $62,070 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 15,270 | $36,320 | $46,870 | $60,160 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 14,010 | $31,510 | $38,290 | $49,540 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 9,860 | $37,100 | $45,400 | $59,300 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 9,810 | $30,340 | $38,870 | $48,400 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,620 | $28,440 | $37,370 | $46,480 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 6,220 | $34,180 | $36,480 | $46,690 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,670 | $36,580 | $44,880 | $53,890 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 5,410 | $29,690 | $36,200 | $45,020 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 5,380 | $45,250 | $51,530 | $63,510 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 5,310 | $39,890 | $48,530 | $59,090 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 4,910 | $30,970 | $37,360 | $44,730 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 4,890 | $24,750 | $35,660 | $45,810 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 4,890 | $28,710 | $36,100 | $44,810 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 4,700 | $35,980 | $40,120 | $48,570 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 4,490 | $36,550 | $44,830 | $54,180 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 4,470 | $28,600 | $36,080 | $46,240 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 4,460 | $21,840 | $26,260 | $39,570 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,410 | $38,100 | $45,070 | $50,990 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 4,310 | $30,510 | $37,180 | $46,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,280 | $40,920 | $49,140 | $63,710 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 9,780 | $39,820 | $49,670 | $62,840 |
| Alaska | 1,430 | $37,990 | $48,580 | $58,710 |
| Massachusetts | 7,430 | $39,250 | $47,790 | $58,090 |
| Hawaii | 1,570 | $38,250 | $47,770 | $65,020 |
| Rhode Island | 1,190 | $37,890 | $46,570 | $58,380 |
| California | 31,660 | $37,570 | $46,390 | $59,630 |
| Vermont | 1,330 | $38,120 | $46,370 | $56,560 |
| Connecticut | 4,500 | $38,380 | $46,120 | $56,570 |
| New York | 17,670 | $36,280 | $45,880 | $59,620 |
| District of Columbia | 1,500 | $38,740 | $45,450 | $55,680 |
| New Hampshire | 1,720 | $35,790 | $45,370 | $56,470 |
| New Jersey | 7,490 | $35,500 | $44,520 | $53,060 |
| Oregon | 7,150 | $36,690 | $44,520 | $57,790 |
| Delaware | 2,680 | $35,870 | $44,080 | $47,560 |
| Maine | 1,790 | $36,060 | $43,490 | $50,700 |
| Minnesota | 7,890 | $35,520 | $43,460 | $52,140 |
| Colorado | 9,440 | $36,290 | $42,500 | $50,990 |
| Maryland | 3,370 | $35,520 | $41,380 | $49,750 |
| Arizona | 7,170 | $34,490 | $39,660 | $48,370 |
| North Dakota | 1,820 | $31,300 | $39,490 | $48,670 |
| Nevada | 1,650 | $32,020 | $39,430 | $53,520 |
| Wisconsin | 9,890 | $32,110 | $38,650 | $47,380 |
| Utah | 5,610 | $28,870 | $38,200 | $48,600 |
| Virginia | 11,170 | $30,000 | $37,890 | $47,940 |
| Illinois | 22,840 | $31,200 | $37,440 | $48,130 |
| Montana | 2,290 | $30,500 | $37,150 | $50,600 |
| Wyoming | 1,570 | $29,130 | $36,940 | $47,830 |
| Michigan | 13,500 | $29,800 | $36,870 | $45,540 |
| South Dakota | 2,120 | $30,140 | $36,730 | $45,650 |
| Ohio | 23,440 | $29,530 | $36,720 | $46,010 |
| Pennsylvania | 24,490 | $28,390 | $36,540 | $46,380 |
| New Mexico | 3,160 | $28,920 | $36,470 | $45,330 |
| Nebraska | 4,410 | $29,890 | $36,390 | $45,380 |
| Florida | 25,100 | $31,650 | $36,250 | $46,520 |
| North Carolina | 11,170 | $28,050 | $36,140 | $45,130 |
| Indiana | 11,130 | $29,280 | $35,980 | $44,760 |
| Iowa | 8,860 | $28,030 | $35,810 | $44,150 |
| Idaho | 3,650 | $28,330 | $35,600 | $45,550 |
| Tennessee | 10,680 | $27,830 | $35,570 | $45,430 |
| Guam | 100 | $22,210 | $35,540 | $39,100 |
| Texas | 24,740 | $24,770 | $35,360 | $44,840 |
| Georgia | 8,220 | $28,220 | $35,090 | $44,540 |
| South Carolina | 7,850 | $21,890 | $34,960 | $42,680 |
| Missouri | 13,130 | $28,600 | $34,900 | $43,700 |
| Kansas | 7,570 | $25,440 | $31,950 | $42,000 |
| Kentucky | 11,540 | $25,580 | $31,550 | $45,720 |
| Virgin Islands | 110 | $22,270 | $30,440 | $31,880 |
| Arkansas | 6,530 | $25,810 | $30,240 | $39,720 |
| West Virginia | 4,420 | $23,820 | $29,740 | $38,470 |
| Oklahoma | 10,790 | $21,620 | $29,270 | $38,670 |
| Mississippi | 6,420 | $20,760 | $27,390 | $36,620 |
| Alabama | 8,780 | $20,040 | $27,120 | $37,960 |
| Puerto Rico | 7,000 | $21,840 | $26,260 | $39,650 |
| Louisiana | 5,740 | $19,250 | $25,490 | $36,200 |
Other food preparation and serving related occupations
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Waiters and Waitresses
- Cooks, Restaurant
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
- Food Preparation Workers
- Bartenders
- Cooks, Fast Food
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $37,450. Employment is 441,050.
How does Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is 26.5% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Kahului-Wailuku, HI is highest on this page's list at $55,400.