Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Delaware
At $37,840 a year, the median for cooks, restaurant in Delaware is close to the national median of $37,390 (+1%); Delaware ranks 19th of 51 states by median. That is 27% less than the median across all occupations in Delaware ($52,190). Among neighbouring states, New Jersey pays more (up to $38,460 in New Jersey) and Maryland and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $36,580 in Pennsylvania). Delaware employs 5,280 cooks, restaurant, 10.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 44th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.20 means the occupation is more concentrated in Delaware than nationally.
Delaware vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $15.02 | $17.03 | $18.19 | $21.62 | $22.57 | $18.84 | 5,280 | 10.90 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $31,250 | $35,410 | $37,840 | $44,960 | $46,940 | $39,190 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 19th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 44th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.20
- Jobs per 1,000
- 10.90
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Delaware's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Delaware
2 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Delaware publish a row for cooks, restaurant, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $18.40 | $38,270 | $29,750 | $47,010 | 24,220 | 8.36 | 0.92 |
| Dover, DE | $17.10 | $35,570 | $31,200 | $44,560 | 590 | 8.61 | 0.95 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $18.12 | $37,700 | $31,320 | $46,020 | 2,190 | 22.47 | 2.48 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $18.19 | $37,840 | 5,280 | 1.20 |
| Maryland | $18.19 | $37,820 | 17,690 | 0.71 |
| New Jersey | $18.49 | $38,460 | 28,800 | 0.74 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.59 | $36,580 | 54,100 | 0.98 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Delaware wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Delaware estimates.
- 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.