Cooks, restaurant salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,700 | $13.80 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| Mean (average) | $38,730 | $18.62 |
| 90th percentile | $47,900 | $23.03 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Cooks, restaurant pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $32,180 | $24,170 | $39,220 | 16,260 | 0.85 |
| Alaska | $40,140 | $36,230 | $46,800 | 2,350 | 0.8 |
| Arizona | $38,670 | $33,250 | $46,240 | 30,870 | 1.05 |
| Arkansas | $30,180 | $26,020 | $37,140 | 11,270 | 0.95 |
| California | $44,880 | $37,100 | $55,580 | 152,250 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | $41,600 | $34,590 | $49,650 | 30,600 | 1.17 |
| Connecticut | $39,480 | $35,460 | $49,420 | 14,830 | 0.96 |
| Delaware | $37,840 | $31,250 | $46,940 | 5,280 | 1.2 |
| District of Columbia | $46,130 | $36,440 | $53,020 | 7,720 | 1.21 |
| Florida | $37,020 | $29,710 | $46,450 | 124,040 | 1.38 |
| Georgia | $35,940 | $24,160 | $43,210 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| Guam | $22,950 | $21,760 | $28,730 | 1,110 | 1.85 |
| Hawaii | $45,420 | $35,740 | $65,320 | 11,090 | 1.95 |
| Idaho | $36,440 | $25,470 | $47,020 | 8,130 | 1.05 |
| Illinois | $37,580 | $31,200 | $46,460 | 53,540 | 0.97 |
| Indiana | $35,170 | $26,000 | $44,190 | 26,960 | 0.93 |
| Iowa | $35,670 | $28,690 | $44,460 | 12,270 | 0.87 |
| Kansas | $35,130 | $26,120 | $44,540 | 11,620 | 0.89 |
| Kentucky | $34,640 | $24,750 | $43,750 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| Louisiana | $29,050 | $21,970 | $39,540 | 14,910 | 0.85 |
| Maine | $45,290 | $38,040 | $49,530 | 5,130 | 0.88 |
| Maryland | $37,820 | $35,030 | $47,840 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| Massachusetts | $45,600 | $36,540 | $58,590 | 29,570 | 0.9 |
| Michigan | $36,980 | $29,570 | $46,030 | 39,100 | 0.98 |
| Minnesota | $38,590 | $31,280 | $47,850 | 26,080 | 0.98 |
| Mississippi | $29,560 | $22,010 | $36,880 | 10,770 | 1.02 |
| Missouri | $36,940 | $28,890 | $46,970 | 25,990 | 0.98 |
| Montana | $38,060 | $29,380 | $47,670 | 7,580 | 1.63 |
| Nebraska | $37,030 | $28,680 | $44,880 | 4,750 | 0.51 |
| Nevada | $38,610 | $30,300 | $56,540 | 27,250 | 1.94 |
| New Hampshire | $40,200 | $34,390 | $49,400 | 7,190 | 1.16 |
| New Jersey | $38,460 | $32,220 | $50,010 | 28,800 | 0.74 |
| New Mexico | $35,020 | $28,100 | $43,400 | 7,810 | 0.99 |
| New York | $43,680 | $34,490 | $54,240 | 71,530 | 0.81 |
| North Carolina | $35,400 | $27,980 | $45,450 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
| North Dakota | $36,470 | $28,850 | $45,650 | 4,490 | 1.15 |
| Ohio | $35,540 | $27,590 | $44,940 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| Oklahoma | $31,720 | $22,850 | $44,170 | 17,050 | 1.1 |
| Oregon | $43,100 | $36,080 | $58,280 | 21,550 | 1.21 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,580 | $22,650 | $45,120 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,650 | $21,840 | $29,640 | 9,810 | 1.15 |
| Rhode Island | $36,510 | $31,840 | $49,450 | 6,950 | 1.53 |
| South Carolina | $35,740 | $26,200 | $45,680 | 25,890 | 1.24 |
| South Dakota | $36,220 | $30,140 | $44,990 | 1,890 | 0.46 |
| Tennessee | $36,420 | $27,910 | $45,650 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
| Texas | $34,760 | $23,330 | $42,810 | 126,620 | 0.99 |
| Utah | $36,490 | $28,800 | $46,580 | 10,520 | 0.67 |
| Vermont | $45,390 | $31,210 | $56,180 | 2,360 | 0.86 |
| Virgin Islands | $37,430 | $31,770 | $46,990 | 410 | 1.42 |
| Virginia | $36,750 | $29,340 | $45,740 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
| Washington | $46,800 | $37,940 | $57,910 | 35,140 | 1.09 |
| West Virginia | $29,590 | $22,180 | $38,010 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
| Wisconsin | $36,550 | $28,010 | $46,270 | 25,410 | 0.95 |
| Wyoming | $36,830 | $27,850 | $52,530 | 2,710 | 1.06 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for cooks, restaurant
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 218,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for cooks, restaurant
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Cooking and Related Culinary Arts, General CIP 12.0500
- Culinary Arts/Chef Training CIP 12.0503
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
- Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
- Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
- Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
- Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
- Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.
- Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
- Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
Technology skills
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Food safety labeling systems
- Menu planning software
- Point of sale POS restaurant software
- Recipe cost control software
Transferable skills for career changers: Time Management, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Social Perceptiveness, Operations Monitoring, Service Orientation.
Common job titles: Back Line Cook, Banquet Cook, Breakfast Cook, Cook, Fry Cook, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Prep Cook (Preparation Cook), Prep Person (Preparation Person), Saucier.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make?
The national median annual wage for cooks, restaurant was $37,390 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $28,700 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $47,900. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do cooks, restaurant need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is cooks, restaurant a growing career?
BLS projects employment of cooks, restaurant to change +12.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 218,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay cooks, restaurant the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($46,800), District of Columbia ($46,130), Massachusetts ($45,600). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.