Cooks, Restaurant · New York

Cooks, Restaurant Salary in New York

Cooks, Restaurant in New York earn a median annual wage of $43,680 —16.8% above the national median of $37,390. That ranks NY #8 of 51 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$43,680
Median hourly
$21.00
Entry level (P10)
$34,490
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$54,240
90th percentile
Employment
71,530
7.4 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+16.8%
U.S. $37,390

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$34,490
$37,100
$43,680
$46,530
$34,490$43,680$54,240
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $43,680.

Employment is only 0.81× as concentrated as the national average — this occupation is relatively scarce in New York.

Highest-paying states for cooks, restaurant

All 51 states ranked by median annual wage. New York is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Washington$46,800$22.5035,1401.09
2District of Columbia$46,130$22.187,7201.21
3Massachusetts$45,600$21.9229,5700.90
4Hawaii$45,420$21.8411,0901.95
5Vermont$45,390$21.822,3600.86
6Maine$45,290$21.785,1300.88
7California$44,880$21.58152,2500.92
8New York$43,680$21.0071,5300.81
9Oregon$43,100$20.7221,5501.21
10Colorado$41,600$20.0030,6001.17

Related occupations in New York

Occupations in the same job family, compared within New York.

OccupationNew York medianU.S. median
Fast Food and Counter Workers$35,250$31,200
Waiters and Waitresses$47,020$35,230
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$47,190$44,080
Food Preparation Workers$35,610$35,320
Bartenders$61,210$34,340
Cooks, Fast Food$35,770$30,890

Frequently asked questions

How much do cooks, restaurant make in New York?

The median annual wage for cooks, restaurant in New York is $43,680, or $21.00 per hour. That is 16.8% above the national median of $37,390.

What is the entry-level cooks, restaurant salary in New York?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $34,490 per year ($16.58/hour). The 25th percentile is $37,100.

How many people work as cooks, restaurant in New York?

About 71,530 people work in this occupation in New York, or 7.4 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is New York a good state for cooks, restaurant?

New York ranks #8 of 51 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment is only 0.81x as concentrated as the national average, so this occupation is relatively scarce in New York.

Which state pays cooks, restaurant the most?

Washington has the highest median wage at $46,800 per year, followed by District of Columbia ($46,130) and Massachusetts ($45,600).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes