Cooks, Restaurant
Cooks, Restaurant (SOC 35-2014) earn a median $37,390 a year ($17.98 an hour) in the United States, with 1,409,890 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What cooks, restaurant do
Restaurant cooks prepare the dishes on a menu, usually at a particular station. Before service they do prep: cutting vegetables, portioning meat and fish, and checking that ingredients are fresh and properly stored. During service they season and cook food to the recipe or the chef's standard, then portion, arrange, and garnish it and pass it to waiters or patrons. Keeping work surfaces, knives, and equipment clean and holding foods at safe temperatures are routine tasks. They bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, and vegetables, and they weigh and mix ingredients by recipe or by experience. It sits below chefs and head cooks, who set the menu and direct the kitchen, and apart from short-order cooks, who prepare foods that need only a short preparation time. Some cooks also coordinate and supervise other kitchen staff, and some order supplies or keep records.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 47 percent).
Also called: Back Line Cook, Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Banquet Cook, Breakfast Cook, Broiler Cook.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.80 | $16.35 | $17.98 | $21.45 | $23.03 | $18.62 | 1,409,890 |
| Annual | $28,700 | $34,010 | $37,390 | $44,620 | $47,900 | $38,730 | ||
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, restaurant 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $18.24 | $20.56 | $22.50 | $23.82 | $27.84 | $22.69 | 35,140 | 9.90 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $37,940 | $42,770 | $46,800 | $49,540 | $57,910 | $47,200 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $17.52 | $19.21 | $22.18 | $23.02 | $25.49 | $21.91 | 7,720 | 11.00 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $36,440 | $39,960 | $46,130 | $47,890 | $53,020 | $45,570 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.57 | $18.45 | $21.92 | $23.58 | $28.17 | $21.85 | 29,570 | 8.13 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $36,540 | $38,370 | $45,600 | $49,040 | $58,590 | $45,450 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $17.18 | $17.91 | $21.84 | $26.71 | $31.41 | $22.64 | 11,090 | 17.67 | 1.95 |
| Annual | $35,740 | $37,260 | $45,420 | $55,550 | $65,320 | $47,080 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.02 | $21.82 | $22.76 | $27.01 | $21.00 | 2,360 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $31,210 | $37,470 | $45,390 | $47,340 | $56,180 | $43,680 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.84 | $18.55 | $21.58 | $22.76 | $26.72 | $21.65 | 152,250 | 8.36 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $37,100 | $38,590 | $44,880 | $47,330 | $55,580 | $45,020 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $11.21 | $13.72 | $16.71 | $17.80 | $20.58 | $16.04 | 126,620 | 9.00 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $23,330 | $28,540 | $34,760 | $37,030 | $42,810 | $33,370 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $14.28 | $16.85 | $17.80 | $20.60 | $22.33 | $18.42 | 124,040 | 12.49 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $29,710 | $35,050 | $37,020 | $42,850 | $46,450 | $38,320 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.58 | $17.84 | $21.00 | $22.37 | $26.08 | $20.75 | 71,530 | 7.38 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $34,490 | $37,100 | $43,680 | $46,530 | $54,240 | $43,150 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $10.89 | $14.37 | $17.59 | $19.09 | $21.69 | $17.19 | 54,100 | 8.92 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $22,650 | $29,890 | $36,580 | $39,710 | $45,120 | $35,750 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $18.50 | $21.58 | $23.83 | $30.40 | $35.74 | $26.18 | 1,770 | 23.99 | 2.65 |
| Annual | $38,470 | $44,880 | $49,560 | $63,230 | $74,350 | $54,460 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $18.44 | $21.98 | $22.95 | $25.51 | $28.20 | $23.56 | 20,850 | 10.00 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $38,360 | $45,730 | $47,730 | $53,060 | $58,660 | $49,000 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $18.55 | $21.17 | $22.75 | $23.86 | $27.95 | $22.99 | 1,270 | 16.31 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $38,570 | $44,030 | $47,320 | $49,630 | $58,130 | $47,830 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $17.84 | $21.14 | $22.68 | $26.83 | $30.74 | $23.75 | 8,900 | 7.84 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $37,100 | $43,970 | $47,170 | $55,800 | $63,940 | $49,390 | ||||
| Barnstable Town, MA | Hourly | $17.79 | $18.71 | $22.56 | $23.93 | $28.77 | $22.52 | 1,760 | 18.73 | 2.07 |
| Annual | $37,010 | $38,910 | $46,930 | $49,780 | $59,840 | $46,830 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.89 | $17.66 | $21.03 | $22.75 | $26.08 | $20.77 | 69,250 | 7.30 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $33,040 | $36,740 | $43,740 | $47,310 | $54,240 | $43,200 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.90 | $18.41 | $21.38 | $22.76 | $26.45 | $21.52 | 54,320 | 8.66 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $37,230 | $38,290 | $44,460 | $47,330 | $55,010 | $44,750 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $15.46 | $17.45 | $18.72 | $21.88 | $22.42 | $19.45 | 41,690 | 9.24 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $32,150 | $36,300 | $38,930 | $45,510 | $46,620 | $40,450 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $13.99 | $14.80 | $17.75 | $21.18 | $22.67 | $18.41 | 37,210 | 13.20 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $29,090 | $30,780 | $36,920 | $44,060 | $47,160 | $38,300 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $13.47 | $14.49 | $17.54 | $18.71 | $21.77 | $17.24 | 34,430 | 8.50 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $28,020 | $30,150 | $36,490 | $38,920 | $45,280 | $35,860 | ||||
Top industries employing cooks, restaurant
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 82.9% of cooks, restaurant nationally (1,168,190 jobs) at a median $37,140 a year ($17.85 an hour), followed by Traveler Accommodation (5.4%) and Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (2.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 1,168,190 | 82.9% | $37,140 | $17.85 |
| Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100 | 76,340 | 5.4% | $44,290 | $21.30 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) NAICS 722400 | 40,390 | 2.9% | $37,090 | $17.83 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries NAICS 713900 | 36,720 | 2.6% | $39,710 | $19.09 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 26,620 | 1.9% | $39,650 | $19.06 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (1,409,890). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $30,010 for cooks, restaurant in May 2021 and $37,390 in May 2025, with employment of 1,193,860 and 1,409,890.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $30,010 | $14.43 | 1,193,860 |
| May 2022 | $34,110 | $16.40 | 1,321,480 |
| May 2023 | $35,780 | $17.20 | 1,412,350 |
| May 2024 | $36,830 | $17.71 | 1,452,130 |
| May 2025 | $37,390 | $17.98 | 1,409,890 |
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
51 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 | Washington profile | $22.50 | $46,800 | $37,940 | $57,910 | 35,140 | 9.90 | 1.09 |
| 2 | District of Columbia profile | $22.18 | $46,130 | $36,440 | $53,020 | 7,720 | 11.00 | 1.21 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $21.92 | $45,600 | $36,540 | $58,590 | 29,570 | 8.13 | 0.90 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $21.84 | $45,420 | $35,740 | $65,320 | 11,090 | 17.67 | 1.95 |
| 5 | Vermont profile | $21.82 | $45,390 | $31,210 | $56,180 | 2,360 | 7.78 | 0.86 |
| 6 | Maine profile | $21.78 | $45,290 | $38,040 | $49,530 | 5,130 | 8.01 | 0.88 |
| 7 | California profile | $21.58 | $44,880 | $37,100 | $55,580 | 152,250 | 8.36 | 0.92 |
| 8 | New York profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $34,490 | $54,240 | 71,530 | 7.38 | 0.81 |
| 9 | Oregon profile | $20.72 | $43,100 | $36,080 | $58,280 | 21,550 | 10.96 | 1.21 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $34,590 | $49,650 | 30,600 | 10.65 | 1.17 |
| 11 | New Hampshire profile | $19.33 | $40,200 | $34,390 | $49,400 | 7,190 | 10.53 | 1.16 |
| 12 | Alaska profile | $19.30 | $40,140 | $36,230 | $46,800 | 2,350 | 7.23 | 0.80 |
| 13 | Connecticut profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $35,460 | $49,420 | 14,830 | 8.75 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Arizona profile | $18.59 | $38,670 | $33,250 | $46,240 | 30,870 | 9.53 | 1.05 |
| 15 | Nevada profile | $18.56 | $38,610 | $30,300 | $56,540 | 27,250 | 17.56 | 1.94 |
| 16 | Minnesota profile | $18.55 | $38,590 | $31,280 | $47,850 | 26,080 | 8.84 | 0.98 |
| 17 | New Jersey profile | $18.49 | $38,460 | $32,220 | $50,010 | 28,800 | 6.72 | 0.74 |
| 18 | Montana profile | $18.30 | $38,060 | $29,380 | $47,670 | 7,580 | 14.82 | 1.63 |
| 19 | Delaware profile | $18.19 | $37,840 | $31,250 | $46,940 | 5,280 | 10.90 | 1.20 |
| 20 | Maryland profile | $18.19 | $37,820 | $35,030 | $47,840 | 17,690 | 6.40 | 0.71 |
| 21 | Illinois profile | $18.07 | $37,580 | $31,200 | $46,460 | 53,540 | 8.78 | 0.97 |
| 22 | Nebraska profile | $17.81 | $37,030 | $28,680 | $44,880 | 4,750 | 4.64 | 0.51 |
| 23 | Florida profile | $17.80 | $37,020 | $29,710 | $46,450 | 124,040 | 12.49 | 1.38 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $17.78 | $36,980 | $29,570 | $46,030 | 39,100 | 8.88 | 0.98 |
| 25 | Missouri profile | $17.76 | $36,940 | $28,890 | $46,970 | 25,990 | 8.85 | 0.98 |
| 26 | Wyoming profile | $17.71 | $36,830 | $27,850 | $52,530 | 2,710 | 9.64 | 1.06 |
| 27 | Virginia profile | $17.67 | $36,750 | $29,340 | $45,740 | 40,310 | 9.81 | 1.08 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.59 | $36,580 | $22,650 | $45,120 | 54,100 | 8.92 | 0.98 |
| 29 | Wisconsin profile | $17.57 | $36,550 | $28,010 | $46,270 | 25,410 | 8.64 | 0.95 |
| 30 | Rhode Island profile | $17.55 | $36,510 | $31,840 | $49,450 | 6,950 | 13.87 | 1.53 |
| 31 | Utah profile | $17.55 | $36,490 | $28,800 | $46,580 | 10,520 | 6.06 | 0.67 |
| 32 | North Dakota profile | $17.53 | $36,470 | $28,850 | $45,650 | 4,490 | 10.46 | 1.15 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $17.52 | $36,440 | $25,470 | $47,020 | 8,130 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| 34 | Tennessee profile | $17.51 | $36,420 | $27,910 | $45,650 | 28,220 | 8.61 | 0.95 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $17.42 | $36,220 | $30,140 | $44,990 | 1,890 | 4.13 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Georgia profile | $17.28 | $35,940 | $24,160 | $43,210 | 46,350 | 9.48 | 1.05 |
| 37 | South Carolina profile | $17.18 | $35,740 | $26,200 | $45,680 | 25,890 | 11.23 | 1.24 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | $17.15 | $35,670 | $28,690 | $44,460 | 12,270 | 7.87 | 0.87 |
| 39 | Ohio profile | $17.09 | $35,540 | $27,590 | $44,940 | 46,910 | 8.45 | 0.93 |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | $17.02 | $35,400 | $27,980 | $45,450 | 50,150 | 10.15 | 1.12 |
| 41 | Indiana profile | $16.91 | $35,170 | $26,000 | $44,190 | 26,960 | 8.42 | 0.93 |
| 42 | Kansas profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $26,120 | $44,540 | 11,620 | 8.09 | 0.89 |
| 43 | New Mexico profile | $16.84 | $35,020 | $28,100 | $43,400 | 7,810 | 8.97 | 0.99 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $16.71 | $34,760 | $23,330 | $42,810 | 126,620 | 9.00 | 0.99 |
| 45 | Kentucky profile | $16.65 | $34,640 | $24,750 | $43,750 | 13,510 | 6.75 | 0.74 |
| 46 | Alabama profile | $15.47 | $32,180 | $24,170 | $39,220 | 16,260 | 7.69 | 0.85 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $15.25 | $31,720 | $22,850 | $44,170 | 17,050 | 9.99 | 1.10 |
| 48 | Arkansas profile | $14.51 | $30,180 | $26,020 | $37,140 | 11,270 | 8.65 | 0.95 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | $14.23 | $29,590 | $22,180 | $38,010 | 6,450 | 9.20 | 1.01 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $14.21 | $29,560 | $22,010 | $36,880 | 10,770 | 9.26 | 1.02 |
| 51 | Louisiana profile | $13.97 | $29,050 | $21,970 | $39,540 | 14,910 | 7.71 | 0.85 |
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 35-2014 Cooks, Restaurant.
- 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 35-2014, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-2014.00, 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.