What are the main factors that influence a Cook's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Cook's salary?

A Cook's salary grows with experience: a Cook (0-1 years)earns $33,868, a Cook II (1-3 years)earns $37,698, a Cook III (3-5 years)earns $42,448, a Sous Chef (5+ years)earns $55,719,

What are the highest paying states for a Cook?

Cook salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cook roles are District of Columbia $37,917, California $37,773, Massachusetts $37,270. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cook roles make?

Salaries for Cook level roles vary by specialization: Pastry Cook: $70,909; Cook III: $42,410; Assistant Cook/Cook: $38,660; Cook - Institution: $37,969; Cook II: $37,664.

How do different companies affect a Cook's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Cook roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Cook Salary in the United States

How much does a Cook make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Cook in the United States is $34,246 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

However, a Cook's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $39,557
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $32,060 to $37,026
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $30,070

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Cook Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$37,026	$3,086	$712	$18
Average	$34,246	$2,854	$659	$16
25th Percentile	$32,060	$2,672	$617	$15

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Key Factors That Influence Cook Salaries

A Cook's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Cook Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Cooks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $37,917.
California: $37,773.
Massachusetts: $37,270.

District of Columbia $37,917 California $37,773 Massachusetts $37,270 Washington $37,133 New Jersey $37,119 Alaska $37,071 Connecticut $36,599 New York $36,407

Hawaii $35,794 Rhode Island $35,506 Maryland $35,311 Minnesota $35,044 Colorado $34,941 Illinois $34,907 Oregon $34,777 Delaware $34,681

New Hampshire $34,620 Virginia $34,486 Pennsylvania $34,092 Nevada $33,893 North Dakota $33,828 Michigan $33,725 Wisconsin $33,688 Vermont $33,612

Texas $33,403 Maine $33,390 Arizona $33,369 Ohio $33,345 Georgia $33,030 Indiana $32,873 Wyoming $32,842 Utah $32,794

Iowa $32,773 Kansas $32,609 Louisiana $32,561 North Carolina $32,544 Missouri $32,537 Florida $32,403 Montana $32,331 Nebraska $32,263

Kentucky $32,225 South Carolina $32,088 Tennessee $32,003 Idaho $31,968 New Mexico $31,718 Oklahoma $31,664 Alabama $31,462 South Dakota $31,123

Arkansas $30,938 West Virginia $30,838 Mississippi $30,540

Top Paying Cities for Cooks

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $43,194
San Francisco: $42,770
Oakland: $41,821

San Jose, CA $43,194

San Francisco, CA $42,770

Oakland, CA $41,821

New York, NY $39,688

Queens Village, NY $39,431

Paramus, NJ $39,157

Passaic, NJ $39,122

Bergenfield, NJ $39,088

Stamford, CT $39,037

Huntington, NY $39,003

Newark, NJ $38,780

Bridgeport, CT $38,711

New Brunswick, NJ $38,598

Vallejo, CA $38,527

Middlesex, NJ $38,506

Somerset, NJ $38,475

Petaluma, CA $38,396

Santa Cruz, CA $38,263

Boston, MA $38,194

Monterey, CA $38,023

Fairbanks, AK $37,999

Los Angeles, CA $37,934

Washington, DC $37,917

Seattle, WA $37,855

Santa Rosa, CA $37,849

Juneau, AK $37,749

Orange, CA $37,636

Anchorage, AK $37,575

Anaheim, CA $37,551

Santa Ana, CA $37,499

Nassau, NY $37,479

Long Beach, CA $37,465

Danbury, CT $37,455

Santa Maria, CA $37,338

Everett, WA $37,331

Bremerton, WA $37,164

Trenton, NJ $37,099

Sacramento, CA $37,085

San Diego, CA $37,068

Brockton, MA $37,054

Tacoma, WA $37,040

Santa Barbara, CA $36,992

Lowell, MA $36,855

New Suffolk, NY $36,842

Nashua, NH $36,801

Lompoc, CA $36,746

Ventura, CA $36,712

Stockton, CA $36,701

New Haven, CT $36,633

Atlantic City, NJ $36,544

Hartford, CT $36,468

Modesto, CA $36,451

Poughkeepsie, NY $36,376

New Britain, CT $36,359

Kennewick, WA $36,311

Olympia, WA $36,311

New London, CT $36,304

Norwich, CT $36,294

Lawrence, MA $36,277

Bakersfield, CA $36,181

New Bedford, MA $36,133

Riverside, CA $36,133

Richland, WA $36,099

Portsmouth, NH $36,071

Vineland, NJ $36,064

San Bernardino, CA $36,037

Boulder, CO $35,941

Worcester, MA $35,914

Portland, OR $35,883

Saint Paul, MN $35,842

Minneapolis, MN $35,842

Philadelphia, PA $35,794

Honolulu, HI $35,612

Springfield, MA $35,492

Providence, RI $35,489

Chicago, IL $35,390

Bellingham, WA $35,349

Baltimore, MD $35,311

Chico, CA $35,225

Wilmington, DE $35,167

Pittsfield, MA $35,133

Manchester, NH $35,068

Spokane, WA $34,917

Denver, CO $34,914

Albany, NY $34,753

Troy, NY $34,739

Schenectady, NY $34,667

Burlington, VT $34,592

Portland, ME $34,472

Salem, OR $34,444

Yakima, WA $34,438

Ann Arbor, MI $34,427

Rochester, MN $34,331

Reno, NV $34,314

Fresno, CA $34,314

Milwaukee, WI $34,284

Detroit, MI $34,249

Allentown, PA $34,239

Carson City, NV $34,236

Houston, TX $34,184

Colorado Springs, CO $34,181

Syracuse, NY $34,164

Eugene, OR $34,099

Gary, IN $34,057

Bismarck, ND $34,057

Galveston, TX $34,057

Springfield, OR $34,030

Medford, OR $33,948

Fort Collins, CO $33,934

Austin, TX $33,907

Mesa, AZ $33,835

Phoenix, AZ $33,828

Dallas, TX $33,818

Reading, PA $33,797

Saint Cloud, MN $33,784

Concord, NH $33,753

Madison, WI $33,739

Utica, NY $33,647

Raleigh, NC $33,619

Las Vegas, NV $33,616

Rochester, NY $33,592

Des Moines, IA $33,588

Atlanta, GA $33,534

Battle Creek, MI $33,523

Salt Lake City, UT $33,513

Lancaster, PA $33,462

Champaign, IL $33,455

Harrisburg, PA $33,414

Durham, NC $33,383

Kansas City, MO $33,379

Kansas City, KS $33,373

Fort Worth, TX $33,369

Boca Raton, FL $33,355

Cleveland, OH $33,352

Columbus, OH $33,345

Pittsburgh, PA $33,342

Richmond, VA $33,328

Indianapolis, IN $33,321

Cincinnati, OH $33,277

Petersburg, VA $33,225

Lansing, MI $33,150

Billings, MT $33,150

Huntsville, AL $33,150

Lebanon, PA $33,147

Pueblo, CO $33,143

Dayton, OH $33,143

Appleton, WI $33,133

Buffalo, NY $33,119

Racine, WI $33,102

Charlotte, NC $33,099

Saint Louis, MO $33,088

Springfield, IL $33,075

York, PA $33,068

Elkhart, IN $33,068

Gastonia, NC $33,064

Benton Harbor, MI $33,064

Beaumont, TX $33,044

Lorain, OH $33,037

Toledo, OH $33,023

Binghamton, NY $33,006

Rock Hill, SC $33,003

Rockford, IL $32,986

Elyria, OH $32,968

Fargo, ND $32,968

Flagstaff, AZ $32,945

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,924

Miami, FL $32,903

Duluth, MN $32,849

Bangor, ME $32,804

Cedar Rapids, IA $32,766

Louisville, KY $32,749

Grand Rapids, MI $32,742

Hialeah, FL $32,739

Casper, WY $32,691

Scranton, PA $32,650

New Orleans, LA $32,640

Virginia Beach, VA $32,636

Akron, OH $32,619

Peoria, IL $32,575

Sarasota, FL $32,568

Green Bay, WI $32,544

Baton Rouge, LA $32,527

Charleston, SC $32,520

Nashville, TN $32,510

Jamestown, NY $32,503

Davenport, IA $32,503

Tucson, AZ $32,486

Cheyenne, WY $32,475

Saint Petersburg, FL $32,465

Tampa, FL $32,458

Omaha, NE $32,451

Evansville, IN $32,438

Port Arthur, TX $32,438

Bradenton, FL $32,424

Santa Fe, NM $32,362

Orlando, FL $32,328

Clearwater, FL $32,290

La Crosse, WI $32,218

Canton, OH $32,218

Grand Forks, ND $32,208

Tulsa, OK $32,198

Albuquerque, NM $32,198

Newport News, VA $32,195

High Point, NC $32,184

Ogden, UT $32,171

Corpus Christi, TX $32,143

Laramie, WY $32,123

Norfolk, VA $32,123

Rock Island, IL $32,102

Saginaw, MI $32,095

Jacksonville, FL $32,092

Salisbury, NC $32,085

Memphis, TN $32,078

Moline, IL $32,061

Fort Myers, FL $32,051

Waterloo, IA $32,006

Spartanburg, SC $31,972

Lincoln, NE $31,955

Fort Wayne, IN $31,948

Birmingham, AL $31,910

Cedar Falls, IA $31,903

Provo, UT $31,900

Springfield, OH $31,897

San Antonio, TX $31,890

Greensboro, NC $31,876

South Bend, IN $31,873

Winston Salem, NC $31,869

Boise, ID $31,859

Savannah, GA $31,835

Muskegon, MI $31,773

Lima, OH $31,732

Lake Charles, LA $31,718

Anderson, IN $31,712

Lexington, KY $31,701

Augusta, GA $31,691

Greenville, SC $31,691

Wichita, KS $31,660

Tuscaloosa, AL $31,660

Columbia, SC $31,629

Bloomington, IN $31,544

Roanoke, VA $31,523

Asheville, NC $31,479

Knoxville, TN $31,421

Shreveport, LA $31,417

Wilmington, NC $31,373

Frankfort, KY $31,308

Oklahoma City, OK $31,284

Chillicothe, OH $31,270

Longview, TX $31,266

Topeka, KS $31,256

Mobile, AL $31,205

Terre Haute, IN $31,191

Erie, PA $31,188

Altoona, PA $31,171

Melbourne, FL $31,160

Amarillo, TX $31,147

Killeen, TX $31,136

Fayetteville, AR $31,109

Sioux Falls, SD $31,085

Chattanooga, TN $31,064

Idaho Falls, ID $31,061

Gainesville, FL $30,989

Portsmouth, OH $30,972

Little Rock, AR $30,965

Lynchburg, VA $30,965

Youngstown, OH $30,951

Lafayette, LA $30,951

Temple, TX $30,938

Daytona Beach, FL $30,931

Clarksville, TN $30,927

Pensacola, FL $30,924

Hopkinsville, KY $30,821

Charleston, WV $30,818

Florence, SC $30,801

Sioux City, IA $30,780

Macon, GA $30,681

Tallahassee, FL $30,677

Fayetteville, NC $30,671

Wichita Falls, TX $30,664

Waco, TX $30,664

Pine Bluff, AR $30,650

Vincennes, IN $30,585

Lubbock, TX $30,571

Great Falls, MT $30,551

Alamogordo, NM $30,547

Abilene, TX $30,520

Rapid City, SD $30,475

Monroe, LA $30,475

Albany, GA $30,455

Huntington, WV $30,451

Jackson, MS $30,448

Greenville, MS $30,445

Parkersburg, WV $30,410

Montgomery, AL $30,403

Johnstown, PA $30,397

Springfield, MO $30,369

Biloxi, MS $30,352

Sumter, SC $30,280

Columbus, GA $30,277

Twin Falls, ID $30,256

Pascagoula, MS $30,212

Kingsport, TN $30,123

Gulfport, MS $30,112

Alexandria, LA $29,999

Fort Smith, AR $29,914

El Paso, TX $29,821

Helena, MT $29,777

Las Cruces, NM $29,667

Harlingen, TX $29,571

Pocatello, ID $29,540

Florence, AL $29,530

Brownsville, TX $29,523

Dothan, AL $29,469

Mcallen, TX $29,451

Columbus, MS $29,198

Altus, OK $29,040

Lawton, OK $28,975

Pierre, SD $28,852

What Skills Can Increase a Cook's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 10.31% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Square (Mentioned in 1.79% Job Postings): Square in geometry, a plane figure with four equal sides and four right (90°) angles. A square is a special kind of rectangle and a special kind of parallelogram.
Container (Mentioned in 1% Job Postings): Container is an object used for or capable of holding, esp for transport or storage, such as a carton, box, etc.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	10.31%
Square	1.79%
Container	1%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Cook's salary.

Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Leadership	$35,958	5%
Initiative	$35,616	4%
Innovation	$35,273	3%
Organizing	$35,273	3%
Presentation	$35,273	3%
Catering	$35,273	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Cook's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Cooks enter the field with a No Diploma degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Cook with a No Diploma is between $34,264 and $36,129).

Cook Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cook

No Diploma 10.9%

High School 29.7%

Associates 45.3%

Bachelors 14.1%

Masters 0.0%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	10.9%
High School	29.7%
Associates	45.3%
Bachelors	14.1%
Masters	0.0%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Cook Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cook's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$32,060

Average $34,246/year

$37,026

$2,672

Average $2,854/month

$3,086

$617

Average $659/week

$712

$15

Average $16/hour

$18

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$37,026	$3,086	$712	$18
Average	$34,246	$2,854	$659	$16
25th Percentile	$32,060	$2,672	$617	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Cook

Salary Trends for Cook

Salaries for a Cook can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $33,185 in 2023 to around $32,424 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cook salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cook Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$33,185

2024

$33,048

2025

$32,424

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$33,185
2024	$33,048
2025	$32,424
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cook

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Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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