Cooks, All Other
Cooks, All Other (SOC 35-2019) earn a median $37,690 a year ($18.12 an hour) in the United States, with 19,350 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What cooks, all other do
This is the catch-all code for cooks whose work does not fit fast food, institutions, private households, restaurants, or short-order cooking. The standard classification defines the group only as all cooks not listed separately, and O*NET lists no core tasks for it, so there is no fixed set of duties. O*NET lists titles such as assistant cook, falafel cart cook, and fraternity house cook, which hints at the range, from cart-based food sellers to kitchens in a fraternity house. Because the category is a residual one, a cook's job lands here only when it cannot be matched to one of the more specific cook codes. A cook whose work fits fast-food, institutional, private household, restaurant, or short-order cooking is counted in that code instead, so the mix of jobs behind the figures for this code is hard to describe in general terms.
Also called: Assistant Cook, Falafel Cart Cook, Fraternity House Cook.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.00 | $15.46 | $18.12 | $21.00 | $24.59 | $18.82 | 19,350 |
| Annual | $27,040 | $32,150 | $37,690 | $43,680 | $51,140 | $39,150 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cooks, all other earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $30.54 | $31.51 | $33.45 | $33.45 | $33.46 | $32.10 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $63,530 | $65,540 | $69,570 | $69,580 | $69,600 | $66,760 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.03 | $23.54 | $25.25 | $25.94 | $29.51 | $25.20 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $43,740 | $48,970 | $52,510 | $53,950 | $61,380 | $52,420 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $17.90 | $21.09 | $24.63 | $27.43 | $28.33 | $24.12 | 320 | 0.21 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $37,230 | $43,870 | $51,220 | $57,060 | $58,920 | $50,160 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $16.68 | $18.68 | $22.15 | $23.74 | $29.14 | $22.10 | 280 | 0.06 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $34,700 | $38,850 | $46,080 | $49,370 | $60,610 | $45,970 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $18.63 | $19.06 | $21.30 | $26.35 | $26.35 | $22.60 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| Annual | $38,750 | $39,650 | $44,290 | $54,810 | $54,810 | $47,000 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $12.31 | $13.21 | $15.46 | $17.48 | $19.99 | $15.93 | 4,650 | 0.33 | 2.65 |
| Annual | $25,600 | $27,470 | $32,150 | $36,350 | $41,570 | $33,130 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.81 | $18.44 | $20.61 | $22.13 | $24.49 | $21.01 | 3,990 | 0.22 | 1.76 |
| Annual | $37,040 | $38,350 | $42,860 | $46,030 | $50,940 | $43,700 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $10.59 | $14.00 | $17.52 | $18.73 | $18.73 | $16.33 | 2,060 | 0.63 | 5.04 |
| Annual | $22,030 | $29,120 | $36,440 | $38,950 | $38,950 | $33,970 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $17.51 | $18.14 | $20.67 | $23.25 | $27.77 | $21.63 | 1,090 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $36,430 | $37,730 | $43,000 | $48,360 | $57,760 | $44,980 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.71 | $16.95 | $19.00 | $21.41 | $24.85 | $19.79 | 710 | 0.07 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $28,510 | $35,250 | $39,520 | $44,520 | $51,680 | $41,170 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | Hourly | $18.73 | $21.88 | $27.56 | $28.07 | $34.04 | $26.09 | 80 | 0.66 | 5.28 |
| Annual | $38,950 | $45,520 | $57,320 | $58,380 | $70,810 | $54,270 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $25.22 | $25.24 | $25.92 | $25.94 | $25.94 | $25.86 | 80 | 0.04 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $52,460 | $52,490 | $53,910 | $53,950 | $53,950 | $53,780 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $17.90 | $21.32 | $24.63 | $27.43 | $28.33 | $24.43 | 290 | 0.26 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $37,240 | $44,350 | $51,220 | $57,060 | $58,920 | $50,820 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $18.63 | $22.38 | $23.93 | $23.93 | $23.93 | $22.65 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.21 |
| Annual | $38,740 | $46,550 | $49,780 | $49,780 | $49,780 | $47,110 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $19.31 | $22.32 | $23.00 | $23.00 | $25.56 | $22.82 | 180 | 0.88 | 7.03 |
| Annual | $40,160 | $46,430 | $47,840 | $47,840 | $53,170 | $47,470 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.52 | $15.46 | $17.07 | $17.50 | $19.52 | $16.71 | 1,810 | 0.45 | 3.58 |
| Annual | $28,120 | $32,150 | $35,500 | $36,390 | $40,600 | $34,750 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $20.61 | $20.61 | $20.61 | $21.90 | $27.71 | $22.41 | 1,120 | 0.47 | 3.79 |
| Annual | $42,860 | $42,860 | $42,860 | $45,550 | $57,630 | $46,610 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.74 | $18.01 | $18.68 | $22.48 | $24.37 | $20.30 | 1,040 | 0.17 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $36,890 | $37,450 | $38,850 | $46,770 | $50,680 | $42,220 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $13.00 | $13.00 | $13.41 | $16.95 | $20.76 | $15.68 | 860 | 0.26 | 2.10 |
| Annual | $27,040 | $27,040 | $27,900 | $35,250 | $43,170 | $32,610 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.51 | $17.51 | $20.49 | $23.74 | $28.30 | $21.61 | 830 | 0.09 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $36,430 | $36,430 | $42,630 | $49,380 | $58,870 | $44,940 | ||||
Top industries employing cooks, all other
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 19.8% of cooks, all other nationally (3,830 jobs) at a median $37,210 a year ($17.89 an hour), followed by Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) (16.2%) and Special Food Services (15.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 3,830 | 19.8% | $37,210 | $17.89 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 3,130 | 16.2% | $38,460 | $18.49 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 3,050 | 15.8% | $40,250 | $19.35 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 1,060 | 5.5% | $38,850 | $18.68 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries NAICS 512100 | 850 | 4.4% | $35,990 | $17.30 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (19,350). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $30,720 for cooks, all other in May 2021 and $37,690 in May 2025, with employment of 18,170 and 19,350.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $30,720 | $14.77 | 18,170 |
| May 2022 | $33,390 | $16.06 | 18,590 |
| May 2023 | $35,920 | $17.27 | 18,650 |
| May 2024 | $36,210 | $17.41 | 23,590 |
| May 2025 | $37,690 | $18.12 | 19,350 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
33 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $33.45 | $69,570 | $63,530 | $69,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | Washington profile | $25.25 | $52,510 | $43,740 | $61,380 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.32 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $24.63 | $51,220 | $37,230 | $58,920 | 320 | 0.21 | 1.65 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $22.15 | $46,080 | $34,700 | $60,610 | 280 | 0.06 | 0.52 |
| 5 | Indiana profile | $21.30 | $44,290 | $38,750 | $54,810 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.09 |
| 6 | North Dakota profile | $21.25 | $44,190 | $42,750 | $58,240 | 60 | 0.14 | 1.10 |
| 7 | Missouri profile | $21.15 | $43,990 | $33,190 | $59,650 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.19 |
| 8 | Colorado profile | $20.91 | $43,490 | $30,800 | $49,780 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.27 |
| 9 | New York profile | $20.67 | $43,000 | $36,430 | $57,760 | 1,090 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
| 10 | Georgia profile | $20.65 | $42,960 | $27,590 | $42,960 | 340 | 0.07 | 0.57 |
| 11 | California profile | $20.61 | $42,860 | $37,040 | $50,940 | 3,990 | 0.22 | 1.76 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $20.50 | $42,640 | $31,600 | $50,670 | 200 | 0.40 | 3.18 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $20.20 | $42,020 | $34,850 | $46,510 | 450 | 0.23 | 1.83 |
| 14 | Arizona profile | $20.07 | $41,740 | $32,900 | $56,830 | 550 | 0.17 | 1.36 |
| 15 | Vermont profile | $19.83 | $41,250 | $36,890 | $61,580 | 160 | 0.53 | 4.28 |
| 16 | Hawaii profile | $19.17 | $39,870 | $34,430 | $49,940 | 100 | 0.16 | 1.27 |
| 17 | Florida profile | $19.00 | $39,520 | $28,510 | $51,680 | 710 | 0.07 | 0.57 |
| 18 | Connecticut profile | $17.88 | $37,190 | $34,010 | $53,220 | 220 | 0.13 | 1.02 |
| 19 | Michigan profile | $17.84 | $37,110 | $29,650 | $46,020 | 300 | 0.07 | 0.55 |
| 20 | Minnesota profile | $17.72 | $36,850 | $30,180 | $48,250 | 80 | 0.03 | 0.22 |
| 21 | Tennessee profile | $17.52 | $36,440 | $22,030 | $38,950 | 2,060 | 0.63 | 5.04 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.41 | $36,220 | $27,210 | $50,850 | 660 | 0.11 | 0.88 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $17.28 | $35,940 | $35,940 | $57,310 | ** | ** | ** |
| 24 | Virginia profile | $17.22 | $35,810 | $26,630 | $64,300 | 480 | 0.12 | 0.93 |
| 25 | Ohio profile | $17.00 | $35,360 | $31,200 | $45,630 | 180 | 0.03 | 0.27 |
| 26 | Wisconsin profile | $16.23 | $33,760 | $30,540 | $47,900 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.14 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | $16.06 | $33,410 | $27,700 | $45,410 | ** | ** | ** |
| 28 | Maryland profile | $15.46 | $32,150 | $31,200 | $46,950 | 610 | 0.22 | 1.77 |
| 29 | Texas profile | $15.46 | $32,150 | $25,600 | $41,570 | 4,650 | 0.33 | 2.65 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $14.96 | $31,120 | $21,250 | $43,690 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.25 |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $14.80 | $30,780 | $27,050 | $55,450 | 90 | 0.07 | 0.53 |
| 32 | Louisiana profile | $13.91 | $28,930 | $23,950 | $39,880 | 430 | 0.22 | 1.79 |
| 33 | Iowa profile | $12.53 | $26,060 | $24,340 | $43,340 | 210 | 0.13 | 1.08 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (35-2010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-2019 Cooks, All Other.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-2019, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-2019.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.