Pay by state · 54 areas
Cook, Restaurant Salary by State (2026)
Cooks, Restaurant earn the most in Washington at $46,800 a year and the least in Louisiana at $29,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $37,390. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $46,800Washington
- National median
- $37,390BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $29,050Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for cooks, restaurant
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, Maine comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$46,800
- 2District of Columbia$46,130
- 3Massachusetts$45,600
- 4Hawaii$45,420
- 5Vermont$45,390
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$29,050
- 2Mississippi$29,560
- 3West Virginia$29,590
- 4Arkansas$30,180
- 5Oklahoma$31,720
All states
Cook, Restaurant salary in every state
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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $46,800 | $42,770 | $49,540 | 35,140 | $43,733 |
| 2 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $46,130 | $39,960 | $47,890 | 7,720 | $41,974 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $45,600 | $38,370 | $49,040 | 29,570 | $43,118 |
| 4 | HIHawaii | $45,420 | $37,260 | $55,550 | 11,090 | $41,309 |
| 5 | VTVermont | $45,390 | $37,470 | $47,340 | 2,360 | $46,336 |
| 6 | MEMaine | $45,290 | $39,800 | $47,720 | 5,130 | $46,667 |
| 7 | CACalifornia | $44,880 | $38,590 | $47,330 | 152,250 | $40,535 |
| 8 | NYNew York | $43,680 | $37,100 | $46,530 | 71,530 | $40,474 |
| 9 | OROregon | $43,100 | $38,030 | $47,730 | 21,550 | $41,699 |
| 10 | COColorado | $41,600 | $36,930 | $45,740 | 30,600 | $40,368 |
| 11 | NHNew Hampshire | $40,200 | $37,190 | $46,850 | 7,190 | $38,593 |
| 12 | AKAlaska | $40,140 | $36,820 | $44,110 | 2,350 | $39,215 |
| 13 | CTConnecticut | $39,480 | $37,060 | $45,950 | 14,830 | $38,104 |
| 14 | AZArizona | $38,670 | $36,200 | $44,870 | 30,870 | $38,410 |
| 15 | NVNevada | $38,610 | $36,530 | $47,170 | 27,250 | $38,618 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $38,590 | $36,020 | $45,360 | 26,080 | $39,130 |
| 17 | NJNew Jersey | $38,460 | $35,880 | $45,600 | 28,800 | $35,348 |
| 18 | MTMontana | $38,060 | $35,100 | $43,910 | 7,580 | $40,213 |
| 19 | DEDelaware | $37,840 | $35,410 | $44,960 | 5,280 | $37,913 |
| 20 | MDMaryland | $37,820 | $36,520 | $43,980 | 17,690 | $36,033 |
| 21 | ILIllinois | $37,580 | $35,360 | $45,010 | 53,540 | $37,596 |
| 22 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $37,430 | $35,150 | $41,320 | 410 | N/A |
| 23 | NENebraska | $37,030 | $33,800 | $42,510 | 4,750 | $41,097 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $37,020 | $35,050 | $42,850 | 124,040 | $35,798 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $36,980 | $34,770 | $42,850 | 39,100 | $38,434 |
| 26 | MOMissouri | $36,940 | $30,790 | $42,720 | 25,990 | $40,675 |
| 27 | WYWyoming | $36,830 | $29,440 | $43,060 | 2,710 | $39,734 |
| 28 | VAVirginia | $36,750 | $33,270 | $42,990 | 40,310 | $36,349 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $36,580 | $29,890 | $39,710 | 54,100 | $37,490 |
| 30 | WIWisconsin | $36,550 | $31,240 | $40,280 | 25,410 | $38,844 |
| 31 | RIRhode Island | $36,510 | $34,610 | $45,650 | 6,950 | $35,696 |
| 32 | UTUtah | $36,490 | $31,200 | $41,950 | 10,520 | $36,909 |
| 33 | NDNorth Dakota | $36,470 | $30,410 | $38,110 | 4,490 | $40,996 |
| 34 | IDIdaho | $36,440 | $29,850 | $42,450 | 8,130 | $38,159 |
| 35 | TNTennessee | $36,420 | $30,610 | $40,740 | 28,220 | $39,643 |
| 36 | SDSouth Dakota | $36,220 | $33,040 | $38,910 | 1,890 | $40,887 |
| 37 | GAGeorgia | $35,940 | $29,190 | $37,840 | 46,350 | $37,324 |
| 38 | SCSouth Carolina | $35,740 | $30,470 | $38,560 | 25,890 | $38,123 |
| 39 | IAIowa | $35,670 | $30,360 | $38,180 | 12,270 | $40,644 |
| 40 | OHOhio | $35,540 | $29,520 | $37,920 | 46,910 | $38,308 |
| 41 | NCNorth Carolina | $35,400 | $29,690 | $38,170 | 50,150 | $37,529 |
| 42 | INIndiana | $35,170 | $28,650 | $37,590 | 26,960 | $37,684 |
| 43 | KSKansas | $35,130 | $29,690 | $37,440 | 11,620 | $39,004 |
| 44 | NMNew Mexico | $35,020 | $30,220 | $37,320 | 7,810 | $37,978 |
| 45 | TXTexas | $34,760 | $28,540 | $37,030 | 126,620 | $35,814 |
| 46 | KYKentucky | $34,640 | $28,850 | $37,200 | 13,510 | $38,421 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $32,180 | $28,930 | $36,220 | 16,260 | $36,229 |
| 48 | OKOklahoma | $31,720 | $28,670 | $37,470 | 17,050 | $36,110 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $30,180 | $28,470 | $35,410 | 11,270 | $34,715 |
| 50 | WVWest Virginia | $29,590 | $26,790 | $35,170 | 6,450 | $33,063 |
| 51 | MSMississippi | $29,560 | $26,000 | $33,940 | 10,770 | $33,995 |
| 52 | LALouisiana | $29,050 | $25,860 | $35,960 | 14,910 | $32,934 |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $24,650 | $22,590 | $27,790 | 9,810 | N/A |
| 54 | GUGuam | $22,950 | $22,360 | $27,600 | 1,110 | N/A |
Method
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.
Questions
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?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for cooks, restaurant at $29,050 a year, $17,750 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $37,430, Puerto Rico reports $24,650 and Guam reports $22,950.
Is the highest-paying state the best for cooks, restaurant after cost of living?
Not on this data. Washington pays the most on paper ($46,800) but ranks 3rd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($43,733). Maine leads after that adjustment at $46,667, from a raw median of $45,290. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.