State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cook, Restaurant Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Cooks, Restaurant earn a median of $37,390 per year ($17.98/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 14.9% through 2034, with about 250,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 35-2014Food Preparation and Serving RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $37,390
- Projected growth
- +14.9%
- Openings a year
- 250,700
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Back Line Cook, Banquet Cook, Breakfast Cook, Cook, Fry Cook, Grill Cook.
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make?
10th percentile$28,700
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$34,010
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$37,390
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$44,620
Upper quartile
90th percentile$47,900
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $37,390 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.98/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $38,730 |
| People employed | 1,409,890 |
Versus all US occupations
At $37,390, Cooks, Restaurant earn 27% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,590 a year.
Versus food preparation and serving related occupations
Inside the Food Preparation and Serving Related group, where the middle occupation pays $35,275, this is 6% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $47,900 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,700, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 6% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Washington posts the highest raw median ($46,800), but once local prices are taken into account Maine leads at $46,667 in national-average dollars.
Which states pay Cooks, Restaurant the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $46,800 | $43,733 | 35,140 |
| District of Columbia | $46,130 | $41,974 | 7,720 |
| Massachusetts | $45,600 | $43,118 | 29,570 |
| Hawaii | $45,420 | $41,309 | 11,090 |
| Vermont | $45,390 | $46,336 | 2,360 |
| Maine | $45,290 | $46,667 | 5,130 |
| California | $44,880 | $40,535 | 152,250 |
| New York | $43,680 | $40,474 | 71,530 |
| Oregon | $43,100 | $41,699 | 21,550 |
| Colorado | $41,600 | $40,368 | 30,600 |
Is Cook, Restaurant a growing career?
Cooks, Restaurant14.9%
All US occupations3.1%
+14.9% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Cooks, Restaurant to change 14.9% over 2024–2034, roughly 4.8× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 217,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 250,700 openings are projected each year, 17.2% of the 1,460,200 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of cooks varies by occupation (see table).
Population and income growth are expected to result in greater consumer demand for food at a variety of dining places. People will continue to eat out, buy takeout meals, or have food delivered. New restaurants, cafeterias, and catering services are expected to open, requiring more cooks to prepare meals for this increased consumer demand.
How to become a Cook, Restaurant
Most cooks learn their skills through on-the-job training and work-related experience. Although no formal education is typically required, some cooks attend culinary schools. Others attend vocational or apprenticeship programs.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | Less than 5 years |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cooks, restaurant.
- High School Diploma47.3%
- Less than a High School Diploma34.4%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)11.8%
- Some College Courses6.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate0.1%
What does a Cook, Restaurant do?
Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.
Day-to-day tasks
- Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.
- Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
- Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
- Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
- Substitute for or assist other cooks during emergencies or rush periods.
- Observe and test foods to determine if they have been cooked sufficiently, using methods such as tasting, smelling, or piercing them with utensils.
- Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
- Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Active Listening2.9/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Active Learning2.8/5
- Writing2.3/5
- Mathematics2.3/5
Transferable skills
- Time Management3.0/5
- Coordination2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.5/5
- Operations Monitoring2.5/5
- Service Orientation2.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.4/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.4/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Compliance software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cook, Restaurant?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.6
Investigative1.6
Artistic2.7
Social2.9
Enterprisingprimary3.7
Conventionalprimary3.8
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cook, Restaurant: frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Restaurant make?
Cooks, Restaurant earn a median of $37,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 27% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.98/hr. The middle half earn between $34,010 and $44,620. The top 10% earn $47,900 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cook, Restaurant?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Cooks, Restaurant, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.3% hold high school diploma.
Is Cook, Restaurant a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 14.9% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 250,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cook, Restaurant do?
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. A core O*NET task: turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Spreadsheet software.
Which states pay Cooks, Restaurant the most?
The highest state medians for Cooks, Restaurant are Washington ($46,800), District of Columbia ($46,130), Massachusetts ($45,600) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Maine moves to the top at $46,667.
What personality type suits a Cook, Restaurant?
O*NET scores Cooks, Restaurant highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.