SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-2012.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,480 | $2,373 | $548 | $13.69 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $32,440 | $2,703 | $624 | $15.60 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $37,450 | $3,121 | $720 | $18.01 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $44,800 | $3,733 | $862 | $21.54 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $49,670 | $4,139 | $955 | $23.88 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $37,450, which is 27% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 5 by median pay. With 441,050 jobs, it makes up about 28 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($49,670), Alaska ($48,580) and Massachusetts ($47,790). The lowest was in Louisiana ($25,490), Puerto Rico ($26,260) and Alabama ($27,120). The most jobs were in California (31,660), Florida (25,100) and Texas (24,740). The occupation is most concentrated in Puerto Rico, where its share of all jobs is 2.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 9,780 | $49,670 | $51,290 | $23.88 |
| Alaska | 1,430 | $48,580 | $49,410 | $23.36 |
| Massachusetts | 7,430 | $47,790 | $48,750 | $22.98 |
| Hawaii | 1,570 | $47,770 | $52,100 | $22.97 |
| Rhode Island | 1,190 | $46,570 | $46,620 | $22.39 |
| California | 31,660 | $46,390 | $47,900 | $22.31 |
| Vermont | 1,330 | $46,370 | $46,260 | $22.29 |
| Connecticut | 4,500 | $46,120 | $46,320 | $22.17 |
| New York | 17,670 | $45,880 | $46,850 | $22.06 |
| District of Columbia | 1,500 | $45,450 | $45,560 | $21.85 |
| New Hampshire | 1,720 | $45,370 | $45,450 | $21.81 |
| New Jersey | 7,490 | $44,520 | $44,110 | $21.40 |
| Oregon | 7,150 | $44,520 | $45,220 | $21.40 |
| Delaware | 2,680 | $44,080 | $42,720 | $21.19 |
| Maine | 1,790 | $43,490 | $43,520 | $20.91 |
| Minnesota | 7,890 | $43,460 | $43,050 | $20.90 |
| Colorado | 9,440 | $42,500 | $43,690 | $20.43 |
| Maryland | 3,370 | $41,380 | $42,750 | $19.89 |
| Arizona | 7,170 | $39,660 | $41,350 | $19.07 |
| North Dakota | 1,820 | $39,490 | $41,140 | $18.99 |
| Nevada | 1,650 | $39,430 | $41,850 | $18.96 |
| Wisconsin | 9,890 | $38,650 | $39,860 | $18.58 |
| Utah | 5,610 | $38,200 | $39,570 | $18.36 |
| Virginia | 11,170 | $37,890 | $39,500 | $18.22 |
| Illinois | 22,840 | $37,440 | $39,210 | $18.00 |
| Montana | 2,290 | $37,150 | $38,950 | $17.86 |
| Wyoming | 1,570 | $36,940 | $37,620 | $17.76 |
| Michigan | 13,500 | $36,870 | $37,370 | $17.72 |
| South Dakota | 2,120 | $36,730 | $37,630 | $17.66 |
| Ohio | 23,440 | $36,720 | $37,160 | $17.65 |
| Pennsylvania | 24,490 | $36,540 | $36,950 | $17.57 |
| New Mexico | 3,160 | $36,470 | $37,130 | $17.54 |
| Nebraska | 4,410 | $36,390 | $37,310 | $17.50 |
| Florida | 25,100 | $36,250 | $38,170 | $17.43 |
| North Carolina | 11,170 | $36,140 | $36,130 | $17.38 |
| Indiana | 11,130 | $35,980 | $35,910 | $17.30 |
| Iowa | 8,860 | $35,810 | $35,260 | $17.22 |
| Idaho | 3,650 | $35,600 | $36,160 | $17.11 |
| Tennessee | 10,680 | $35,570 | $35,260 | $17.10 |
| Guam | 100 | $35,540 | $32,050 | $17.09 |
| Texas | 24,740 | $35,360 | $34,870 | $17.00 |
| Georgia | 8,220 | $35,090 | $35,380 | $16.87 |
| South Carolina | 7,850 | $34,960 | $33,270 | $16.81 |
| Missouri | 13,130 | $34,900 | $35,190 | $16.78 |
| Kansas | 7,570 | $31,950 | $32,990 | $15.36 |
| Kentucky | 11,540 | $31,550 | $33,790 | $15.17 |
| Virgin Islands | 110 | $30,440 | $29,250 | $14.64 |
| Arkansas | 6,530 | $30,240 | $32,720 | $14.54 |
| West Virginia | 4,420 | $29,740 | $31,470 | $14.30 |
| Oklahoma | 10,790 | $29,270 | $30,210 | $14.07 |
| Mississippi | 6,420 | $27,390 | $27,850 | $13.17 |
| Alabama | 8,780 | $27,120 | $27,870 | $13.04 |
| Puerto Rico | 7,000 | $26,260 | $28,030 | $12.62 |
| Louisiana | 5,740 | $25,490 | $27,300 | $12.26 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Cooks, Private Household$47,940 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$44,080 a year
- Cooks, All Other$37,690 a year
- Cooks, Restaurant$37,390 a year
- Cooks, Short Order$35,880 a year
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$35,840 a year
Common questions
How much do Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria earn in the United States?
The median pay was $37,450 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,480 and the highest-paid 10% more than $49,670.
How many people work as Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?
About 441,050 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.