Sort by any column. Employment is the number of cooks, institution and cafeteria OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Cook, Institution and Cafeteria Salary by State (2026)
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria earn the most in Washington at $49,670 a year and the least in Louisiana at $25,490 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $37,450. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $49,670
- National median
- $37,450
- Lowest median
- $25,490
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Louisiana
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- 1. Washington$49,670 median · $46,415 adjusted · 9,780 employed
- 2. Alaska$48,580 median · $47,460 adjusted · 1,430 employed
- 3. Massachusetts$47,790 median · $45,188 adjusted · 7,430 employed
- 4. Hawaii$47,770 median · $43,447 adjusted · 1,570 employed
- 5. Rhode Island$46,570 median · $45,532 adjusted · 1,190 employed
Lowest-paying states for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
- 54. Louisiana$25,490 median · $28,898 adjusted · 5,740 employed
- 53. Puerto Rico$26,260 median · no price parity · 7,000 employed
- 52. Alabama$27,120 median · $30,533 adjusted · 8,780 employed
- 51. Mississippi$27,390 median · $31,500 adjusted · 6,420 employed
- 50. Oklahoma$29,270 median · $33,321 adjusted · 10,790 employed
Cook, Institution and Cafeteria salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $49,670 | $45,760 | $58,220 | 9,780 | $46,415 |
| 2 | Alaska | $48,580 | $45,740 | $53,470 | 1,430 | $47,460 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $47,790 | $45,080 | $51,650 | 7,430 | $45,188 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $47,770 | $41,180 | $59,200 | 1,570 | $43,447 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $46,570 | $40,360 | $48,550 | 1,190 | $45,532 |
| 6 | California | $46,390 | $40,240 | $52,060 | 31,660 | $41,898 |
| 7 | Vermont | $46,370 | $41,920 | $48,620 | 1,330 | $47,337 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $46,120 | $39,960 | $48,990 | 4,500 | $44,513 |
| 9 | New York | $45,880 | $38,750 | $51,530 | 17,670 | $42,513 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $45,450 | $39,980 | $46,950 | 1,500 | $41,355 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $45,370 | $39,820 | $49,500 | 1,720 | $43,556 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $44,520 | $37,590 | $48,090 | 7,490 | $40,917 |
| 13 | Oregon | $44,520 | $38,370 | $49,280 | 7,150 | $43,072 |
| 14 | Delaware | $44,080 | $39,620 | $46,050 | 2,680 | $44,165 |
| 15 | Maine | $43,490 | $38,130 | $47,520 | 1,790 | $44,812 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $43,460 | $37,840 | $46,590 | 7,890 | $44,068 |
| 17 | Colorado | $42,500 | $38,450 | $47,920 | 9,440 | $41,241 |
| 18 | Maryland | $41,380 | $37,360 | $46,700 | 3,370 | $39,425 |
| 19 | Arizona | $39,660 | $36,730 | $45,950 | 7,170 | $39,393 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $39,490 | $36,330 | $46,340 | 1,820 | $44,391 |
| 21 | Nevada | $39,430 | $36,080 | $46,440 | 1,650 | $39,438 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $38,650 | $36,040 | $44,300 | 9,890 | $41,076 |
| 23 | Utah | $38,200 | $35,640 | $45,480 | 5,610 | $38,639 |
| 24 | Virginia | $37,890 | $34,920 | $44,460 | 11,170 | $37,476 |
| 25 | Illinois | $37,440 | $34,560 | $43,280 | 22,840 | $37,456 |
| 26 | Montana | $37,150 | $33,540 | $42,900 | 2,290 | $39,252 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $36,940 | $31,960 | $39,900 | 1,570 | $39,853 |
| 28 | Michigan | $36,870 | $33,360 | $39,660 | 13,500 | $38,320 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $36,730 | $32,200 | $40,980 | 2,120 | $41,463 |
| 30 | Ohio | $36,720 | $33,090 | $39,310 | 23,440 | $39,580 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $36,540 | $31,160 | $41,020 | 24,490 | $37,449 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $36,470 | $32,330 | $39,700 | 3,160 | $39,550 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $36,390 | $34,040 | $39,370 | 4,410 | $40,387 |
| 34 | Florida | $36,250 | $34,480 | $39,840 | 25,100 | $35,053 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $36,140 | $31,290 | $39,610 | 11,170 | $38,314 |
| 36 | Indiana | $35,980 | $31,080 | $38,480 | 11,130 | $38,552 |
| 37 | Iowa | $35,810 | $30,970 | $37,920 | 8,860 | $40,804 |
| 38 | Idaho | $35,600 | $30,730 | $39,010 | 3,650 | $37,280 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $35,570 | $30,150 | $38,860 | 10,680 | $38,718 |
| 40 | Guam | $35,540 | $27,430 | $36,500 | 100 | N/A |
| 41 | Texas | $35,360 | $29,170 | $38,910 | 24,740 | $36,432 |
| 42 | Georgia | $35,090 | $30,220 | $38,250 | 8,220 | $36,441 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $34,960 | $29,130 | $37,250 | 7,850 | $37,291 |
| 44 | Missouri | $34,900 | $29,850 | $38,000 | 13,130 | $38,429 |
| 45 | Kansas | $31,950 | $28,840 | $36,030 | 7,570 | $35,473 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $31,550 | $28,880 | $37,370 | 11,540 | $34,994 |
| 47 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $30,440 | $26,440 | $30,970 | 110 | N/A |
| 48 | Arkansas | $30,240 | $28,300 | $35,300 | 6,530 | $34,784 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $29,740 | $27,740 | $35,680 | 4,420 | $33,230 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $29,270 | $24,960 | $35,160 | 10,790 | $33,321 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $27,390 | $23,100 | $29,740 | 6,420 | $31,500 |
| 52 | Alabama | $27,120 | $21,630 | $33,300 | 8,780 | $30,533 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $26,260 | $22,290 | $29,250 | 7,000 | N/A |
| 54 | Louisiana | $25,490 | $22,290 | $30,410 | 5,740 | $28,898 |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $49,670, while Alaska leads once prices are taken into account at $47,460.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Cook, Institution and Cafeteria pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria at $49,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($48,580) and Massachusetts ($47,790).
Which state pays Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria the least?
Louisiana reports the lowest median for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria at $25,490 a year, $24,180 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alaska first at $47,460 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $48,580. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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