Cooks, Restaurant Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant is $37,390, or $17.98 per hour. About 1,409,890 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $46,800 in Washington to $29,050 in Louisiana.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $46,800 | $22.50 | 35,140 | 1.09 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $46,130 | $22.18 | 7,720 | 1.21 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $45,600 | $21.92 | 29,570 | 0.90 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $45,420 | $21.84 | 11,090 | 1.95 |
| 5 | Vermont | $45,390 | $21.82 | 2,360 | 0.86 |
| 6 | Maine | $45,290 | $21.78 | 5,130 | 0.88 |
| 7 | California | $44,880 | $21.58 | 152,250 | 0.92 |
| 8 | New York | $43,680 | $21.00 | 71,530 | 0.81 |
| 9 | Oregon | $43,100 | $20.72 | 21,550 | 1.21 |
| 10 | Colorado | $41,600 | $20.00 | 30,600 | 1.17 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $40,200 | $19.33 | 7,190 | 1.16 |
| 12 | Alaska | $40,140 | $19.30 | 2,350 | 0.80 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $39,480 | $18.98 | 14,830 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Arizona | $38,670 | $18.59 | 30,870 | 1.05 |
| 15 | Nevada | $38,610 | $18.56 | 27,250 | 1.94 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $38,590 | $18.55 | 26,080 | 0.98 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $38,460 | $18.49 | 28,800 | 0.74 |
| 18 | Montana | $38,060 | $18.30 | 7,580 | 1.63 |
| 19 | Delaware | $37,840 | $18.19 | 5,280 | 1.20 |
| 20 | Maryland | $37,820 | $18.19 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| 21 | Illinois | $37,580 | $18.07 | 53,540 | 0.97 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $37,030 | $17.81 | 4,750 | 0.51 |
| 23 | Florida | $37,020 | $17.80 | 124,040 | 1.38 |
| 24 | Michigan | $36,980 | $17.78 | 39,100 | 0.98 |
| 25 | Missouri | $36,940 | $17.76 | 25,990 | 0.98 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $36,830 | $17.71 | 2,710 | 1.06 |
| 27 | Virginia | $36,750 | $17.67 | 40,310 | 1.08 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $36,580 | $17.59 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $36,550 | $17.57 | 25,410 | 0.95 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $36,510 | $17.55 | 6,950 | 1.53 |
| 31 | Utah | $36,490 | $17.55 | 10,520 | 0.67 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $36,470 | $17.53 | 4,490 | 1.15 |
| 33 | Idaho | $36,440 | $17.52 | 8,130 | 1.05 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $36,420 | $17.51 | 28,220 | 0.95 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $36,220 | $17.42 | 1,890 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Georgia | $35,940 | $17.28 | 46,350 | 1.05 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $35,740 | $17.18 | 25,890 | 1.24 |
| 38 | Iowa | $35,670 | $17.15 | 12,270 | 0.87 |
| 39 | Ohio | $35,540 | $17.09 | 46,910 | 0.93 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $35,400 | $17.02 | 50,150 | 1.12 |
| 41 | Indiana | $35,170 | $16.91 | 26,960 | 0.93 |
| 42 | Kansas | $35,130 | $16.89 | 11,620 | 0.89 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $35,020 | $16.84 | 7,810 | 0.99 |
| 44 | Texas | $34,760 | $16.71 | 126,620 | 0.99 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $34,640 | $16.65 | 13,510 | 0.74 |
| 46 | Alabama | $32,180 | $15.47 | 16,260 | 0.85 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $31,720 | $15.25 | 17,050 | 1.10 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $30,180 | $14.51 | 11,270 | 0.95 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $29,590 | $14.23 | 6,450 | 1.01 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $29,560 | $14.21 | 10,770 | 1.02 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $29,050 | $13.97 | 14,910 | 0.85 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, restaurant make?
The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in the United States is $37,390, or $17.98 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $28,700, and the top 10% earn $47,900.
How many cooks, restaurant are employed in the U.S.?
About 1,409,890 people work as cooks, restaurant nationwide.
Which state pays cooks, restaurant the most?
Washington pays the most at a median of $46,800, followed by District of Columbia ($46,130) and Massachusetts ($45,600).
Which state pays cooks, restaurant the least?
Louisiana has the lowest median at $29,050.
Where are cooks, restaurant jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Hawaii at 1.95×.