United States · BLS May 2025
Also called cafeteria cook. SOC 35-2012.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 441,050 institution or cafeteria cooks across the country. Pay varies more by state than most people expect, and the state that pays most is not always the one that leaves most.
Median pay · the United States
$37,450A year, or $18.01 an hour.| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileEntry and lowest-paid | $28,480 | $13.69 |
| 25th percentile | $32,440 | $15.60 |
| MedianHalf earn more, half less | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| 75th percentile | $44,800 | $21.54 |
| 90th percentileMost experienced and senior | $49,670 | $23.88 |
| MeanThe average, pulled up by the top | $38,810 | $18.66 |
Method occupation-wage-v1Data bls-oews-2025-05-v1
Washington pays a median of $49,670, Louisiana $25,490. That is a gap of $24,180 before either state's taxes or prices are counted.
Common questions
The median wage for institution or cafeteria cooks in the United States is $37,450 a year, or $18.01 an hour.
Half earn more than that and half earn less. The figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage survey for May 2025.
The top tenth earn $49,670 a year or more, against $28,480 at the bottom tenth.
Experience, specialism, employer and the part of the United States someone works in all move a wage inside that range; the survey reports the spread, not the reason for it.
The survey counted 441,050 of these jobs in the United States for May 2025.
It counts wage and salary jobs, so the self-employed are outside it.
Sources