Cooks, Restaurant salary
Food & hospitality · OCC code 35-2014 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Cooks, Restaurant in the US earn a median of $36,830 per year (mean $37,730) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is -25.6% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, below the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $31,310 and $43,610; the top 10% earn $47,340 or more. The median hourly wage is $17.71. About 1,452,130 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is Massachusetts ($46,280). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Cooks, Restaurant pay range (national percentiles)
What cooks, restaurant earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $28,010 |
| 25th percentile | $31,310 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $36,830 |
| Mean (average) | $37,730 |
| 75th percentile | $43,610 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $47,340 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Cooks, Restaurant salary by state
Median and mean wage for cooks, restaurant in each of the 51 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $36,830.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $46,280 | $45,160 | 31,640 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $45,230 | $44,890 | 8,020 |
| 3 | Washington | $44,980 | $44,860 | 34,790 |
| 4 | Maine | $44,870 | $44,320 | 4,920 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $44,710 | $46,330 | 12,190 |
| 6 | Vermont | $44,560 | $44,140 | 2,710 |
| 7 | California | $44,290 | $44,240 | 160,270 |
| 8 | New York | $39,890 | $42,890 | 62,430 |
| 9 | Colorado | $39,170 | $41,610 | 33,920 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $39,050 | $40,390 | 6,980 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $38,940 | $41,470 | 6,490 |
| 12 | Alaska | $38,640 | $40,580 | 2,480 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $38,220 | $40,020 | 26,900 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $38,080 | $40,900 | 30,720 |
| 15 | Oregon | $38,040 | $40,350 | 18,970 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $38,020 | $40,190 | 13,940 |
| 17 | Arizona | $37,940 | $39,660 | 34,740 |
| 18 | Maryland | $37,470 | $39,060 | 19,260 |
| 19 | Nevada | $37,170 | $40,150 | 25,960 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $36,940 | $37,080 | 24,360 |
| 21 | Montana | $36,830 | $38,230 | 8,170 |
| 22 | Delaware | $36,820 | $37,450 | 5,460 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $36,800 | $36,280 | 5,050 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $36,770 | $37,690 | 3,250 |
| 25 | Illinois | $36,630 | $37,840 | 61,630 |
| 26 | Virginia | $36,580 | $37,840 | 41,010 |
| 27 | Michigan | $36,560 | $36,150 | 37,860 |
| 28 | Utah | $36,510 | $37,290 | 11,630 |
| 29 | Florida | $36,300 | $36,620 | 134,480 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $36,060 | $35,530 | 4,400 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $35,810 | $35,030 | 27,300 |
| 32 | Iowa | $35,720 | $35,280 | 13,310 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $35,700 | $34,690 | 26,230 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $35,340 | $34,140 | 54,830 |
| 35 | Missouri | $35,320 | $35,730 | 28,390 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $35,240 | $34,820 | 50,400 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $35,150 | $35,150 | 1,880 |
| 38 | Georgia | $35,090 | $33,440 | 49,320 |
| 39 | Indiana | $35,040 | $33,670 | 27,640 |
| 40 | Idaho | $34,890 | $33,420 | 8,290 |
| 41 | Ohio | $34,750 | $33,230 | 49,880 |
| 42 | Kansas | $34,200 | $33,730 | 11,790 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $34,110 | $34,160 | 8,730 |
| 44 | Texas | $34,050 | $33,250 | 125,880 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $30,960 | $32,340 | 14,400 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $30,610 | $33,320 | 18,760 |
| 47 | Alabama | $30,100 | $31,510 | 18,370 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $29,520 | $29,690 | 9,710 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $29,470 | $30,970 | 10,450 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $28,880 | $30,280 | 15,130 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $28,560 | $29,410 | 6,370 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: Massachusetts ($46,280). Lowest: West Virginia ($28,560).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant (this job) | $36,830 | $37,730 | -25.6% |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $37,230 | $38,480 | -24.8% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $35,930 | $37,460 | -27.4% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,690 | $37,850 | -27.9% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $38,090 | $40,880 | -23.1% |
| Security Guards | $38,370 | $42,890 | -22.5% |
Receptionists and Information Clerks · Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners · Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse · Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers · Security Guards
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make?
Cooks, Restaurant earn a national median of $36,830 per year (mean $37,730) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $31,310 (25th percentile) and $43,610 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $47,340 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $28,010. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for cooks, restaurant?
The median hourly wage is $17.71 and the mean is $18.14 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays cooks, restaurant the most?
Massachusetts has the highest median wage for cooks, restaurant at $46,280, versus a national median of $36,830. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many cooks, restaurant are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 1,452,130 cooks, restaurant are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #116 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 35-2014), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20