Cooks, Restaurant Salary in Massachusetts
Cooks, Restaurant in Massachusetts earn a median $45,600 a year, +22% against the national median of $37,390; they and rank 3rd of 51 states by median. That is 28% less than the median across all occupations in Massachusetts ($63,590). Massachusetts pays more than every neighbouring state: Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island range from $36,510 in Rhode Island to $45,390 in Vermont. Massachusetts employs 29,570 cooks, restaurant, 8.13 per 1,000 jobs, the 15th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.90 is close to the national share.
Massachusetts vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 15th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.90
- Jobs per 1,000
- 8.13
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts
7 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Massachusetts 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | $22.56 | $46,930 | $37,010 | $59,840 | 1,760 | 18.73 | 2.07 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $22.03 | $45,830 | $36,810 | $58,690 | 22,900 | 8.47 | 0.93 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $21.48 | $44,680 | $35,720 | $56,370 | 540 | 8.22 | 0.91 |
| Worcester, MA | $21.27 | $44,250 | $35,990 | $56,180 | 2,490 | 7.13 | 0.79 |
| Pittsfield, MA | $21.14 | $43,970 | $35,050 | $56,310 | 630 | 11.14 | 1.23 |
| Springfield, MA | $19.22 | $39,970 | $35,160 | $54,830 | 1,410 | 7.02 | 0.77 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $18.01 | $37,460 | $31,840 | $49,660 | 8,850 | 12.39 | 1.37 |
| Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area | $22.83 | $47,480 | $38,020 | $59,570 | 540 | 13.09 | 1.44 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $21.92 | $45,600 | 29,570 | 0.90 |
| Connecticut | $18.98 | $39,480 | 14,830 | 0.96 |
| New Hampshire | $19.33 | $40,200 | 7,190 | 1.16 |
| New York | $21.00 | $43,680 | 71,530 | 0.81 |
| Rhode Island | $17.55 | $36,510 | 6,950 | 1.53 |
| Vermont | $21.82 | $45,390 | 2,360 | 0.86 |
See the national page for Cooks, Restaurant (every state ranked) and the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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.