Sort by any column. Employment is the number of cooks, restaurant OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Cook, Restaurant Salary by State (2026)
Cooks, Restaurant earn the most in Washington at $46,800 a year and the least in Guam at $22,950 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $37,390. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $46,800
- National median
- $37,390
- Lowest median
- $22,950
- States reporting
- 54
Washington
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Guam
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Cooks, Restaurant
- 1. Washington$46,800 median · $43,733 adjusted · 35,140 employed
- 2. District of Columbia$46,130 median · $41,974 adjusted · 7,720 employed
- 3. Massachusetts$45,600 median · $43,118 adjusted · 29,570 employed
- 4. Hawaii$45,420 median · $41,309 adjusted · 11,090 employed
- 5. Vermont$45,390 median · $46,336 adjusted · 2,360 employed
Lowest-paying states for Cooks, Restaurant
- 54. Guam$22,950 median · no price parity · 1,110 employed
- 53. Puerto Rico$24,650 median · no price parity · 9,810 employed
- 52. Louisiana$29,050 median · $32,934 adjusted · 14,910 employed
- 51. Mississippi$29,560 median · $33,995 adjusted · 10,770 employed
- 50. West Virginia$29,590 median · $33,063 adjusted · 6,450 employed
Cook, Restaurant salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $46,800 | $42,770 | $49,540 | 35,140 | $43,733 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $46,130 | $39,960 | $47,890 | 7,720 | $41,974 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $45,600 | $38,370 | $49,040 | 29,570 | $43,118 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $45,420 | $37,260 | $55,550 | 11,090 | $41,309 |
| 5 | Vermont | $45,390 | $37,470 | $47,340 | 2,360 | $46,336 |
| 6 | Maine | $45,290 | $39,800 | $47,720 | 5,130 | $46,667 |
| 7 | California | $44,880 | $38,590 | $47,330 | 152,250 | $40,535 |
| 8 | New York | $43,680 | $37,100 | $46,530 | 71,530 | $40,474 |
| 9 | Oregon | $43,100 | $38,030 | $47,730 | 21,550 | $41,699 |
| 10 | Colorado | $41,600 | $36,930 | $45,740 | 30,600 | $40,368 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $40,200 | $37,190 | $46,850 | 7,190 | $38,593 |
| 12 | Alaska | $40,140 | $36,820 | $44,110 | 2,350 | $39,215 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $39,480 | $37,060 | $45,950 | 14,830 | $38,104 |
| 14 | Arizona | $38,670 | $36,200 | $44,870 | 30,870 | $38,410 |
| 15 | Nevada | $38,610 | $36,530 | $47,170 | 27,250 | $38,618 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $38,590 | $36,020 | $45,360 | 26,080 | $39,130 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $38,460 | $35,880 | $45,600 | 28,800 | $35,348 |
| 18 | Montana | $38,060 | $35,100 | $43,910 | 7,580 | $40,213 |
| 19 | Delaware | $37,840 | $35,410 | $44,960 | 5,280 | $37,913 |
| 20 | Maryland | $37,820 | $36,520 | $43,980 | 17,690 | $36,033 |
| 21 | Illinois | $37,580 | $35,360 | $45,010 | 53,540 | $37,596 |
| 22 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $37,430 | $35,150 | $41,320 | 410 | N/A |
| 23 | Nebraska | $37,030 | $33,800 | $42,510 | 4,750 | $41,097 |
| 24 | Florida | $37,020 | $35,050 | $42,850 | 124,040 | $35,798 |
| 25 | Michigan | $36,980 | $34,770 | $42,850 | 39,100 | $38,434 |
| 26 | Missouri | $36,940 | $30,790 | $42,720 | 25,990 | $40,675 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $36,830 | $29,440 | $43,060 | 2,710 | $39,734 |
| 28 | Virginia | $36,750 | $33,270 | $42,990 | 40,310 | $36,349 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $36,580 | $29,890 | $39,710 | 54,100 | $37,490 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $36,550 | $31,240 | $40,280 | 25,410 | $38,844 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $36,510 | $34,610 | $45,650 | 6,950 | $35,696 |
| 32 | Utah | $36,490 | $31,200 | $41,950 | 10,520 | $36,909 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $36,470 | $30,410 | $38,110 | 4,490 | $40,996 |
| 34 | Idaho | $36,440 | $29,850 | $42,450 | 8,130 | $38,159 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $36,420 | $30,610 | $40,740 | 28,220 | $39,643 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $36,220 | $33,040 | $38,910 | 1,890 | $40,887 |
| 37 | Georgia | $35,940 | $29,190 | $37,840 | 46,350 | $37,324 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $35,740 | $30,470 | $38,560 | 25,890 | $38,123 |
| 39 | Iowa | $35,670 | $30,360 | $38,180 | 12,270 | $40,644 |
| 40 | Ohio | $35,540 | $29,520 | $37,920 | 46,910 | $38,308 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $35,400 | $29,690 | $38,170 | 50,150 | $37,529 |
| 42 | Indiana | $35,170 | $28,650 | $37,590 | 26,960 | $37,684 |
| 43 | Kansas | $35,130 | $29,690 | $37,440 | 11,620 | $39,004 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $35,020 | $30,220 | $37,320 | 7,810 | $37,978 |
| 45 | Texas | $34,760 | $28,540 | $37,030 | 126,620 | $35,814 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $34,640 | $28,850 | $37,200 | 13,510 | $38,421 |
| 47 | Alabama | $32,180 | $28,930 | $36,220 | 16,260 | $36,229 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $31,720 | $28,670 | $37,470 | 17,050 | $36,110 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $30,180 | $28,470 | $35,410 | 11,270 | $34,715 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $29,590 | $26,790 | $35,170 | 6,450 | $33,063 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $29,560 | $26,000 | $33,940 | 10,770 | $33,995 |
| 52 | Louisiana | $29,050 | $25,860 | $35,960 | 14,910 | $32,934 |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $24,650 | $22,590 | $27,790 | 9,810 | N/A |
| 54 | Guam | $22,950 | $22,360 | $27,600 | 1,110 | N/A |
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, Restaurant, that changes the ranking: Washington leads on raw pay at $46,800, while Maine leads once prices are taken into account at $46,667.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Cook, Restaurant pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Cooks, Restaurant the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for Cooks, Restaurant at $46,800 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by District of Columbia ($46,130) and Massachusetts ($45,600).
Which state pays Cooks, Restaurant the least?
Guam reports the lowest median for Cooks, Restaurant at $22,950 a year, $23,850 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Cooks, Restaurant earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Maine first at $46,667 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $45,290. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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