How much does a cook make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $14.85 an hour or $2,574 a month.
- Hourly
- $14.85
- Average (mean)
- $32,390
- Jobs
- 641,070
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $22,580 | $10.86 | |
| 25th | $27,260 | $13.11 | |
| Median | $30,890 | $14.85 | |
| 75th | $37,260 | $17.91 | |
| 90th | $42,910 | $20.63 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| Hawaii | $48,120 |
| District of Columbia | $44,670 |
| California | $42,050 |
| Washington | $39,120 |
| New Hampshire | $38,590 |
| Vermont | $38,230 |
| Oregon | $37,880 |
| Massachusetts | $37,870 |
| Colorado | $36,900 |
| Maine | $36,350 |
| New York | $35,770 |
| Rhode Island | $35,230 |
| Connecticut | $34,980 |
| Illinois | $34,960 |
| Minnesota | $34,120 |
| Alaska | $33,960 |
| Nevada | $33,840 |
| Maryland | $33,320 |
| Arizona | $32,660 |
| New Jersey | $32,220 |
| Delaware | $31,840 |
| Utah | $31,800 |
| Idaho | $31,070 |
| South Dakota | $30,950 |
| Nebraska | $30,430 |
| North Dakota | $30,220 |
| New Mexico | $30,190 |
| Virginia | $29,950 |
| Florida | $29,900 |
| Missouri | $29,890 |
| Indiana | $29,870 |
| Michigan | $29,460 |
| Wyoming | $28,950 |
| Wisconsin | $28,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,810 |
| Kansas | $28,640 |
| Iowa | $28,510 |
| Tennessee | $28,330 |
| Texas | $28,280 |
| Alabama | $27,870 |
| Oklahoma | $27,720 |
| Arkansas | $27,710 |
| South Carolina | $27,420 |
| North Carolina | $27,190 |
| Georgia | $26,940 |
| Ohio | $26,870 |
| Montana | $26,770 |
| Louisiana | $24,960 |
| Kentucky | $23,500 |
| West Virginia | $23,120 |
| Mississippi | $22,670 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| San Jose, CA | $47,220 |
| San Francisco, CA | $46,670 |
| Napa, CA | $45,300 |
| Vallejo, CA | $44,450 |
| Seattle, WA | $44,030 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $43,840 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $43,630 |
| Salinas, CA | $43,120 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $42,700 |
| Oxnard, CA | $42,530 |
| Modesto, CA | $42,510 |
| Riverside, CA | $42,480 |
| San Diego, CA | $42,450 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $42,390 |
| Yuba City, CA | $42,320 |
In other countries
Cook belongs to the international group "Fast food preparers".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cook make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $14.85 ($30,890 a year).
How much does a cook make a month?
About $2,574 a month before tax, based on a median of $30,890 a year.
How much does a cook make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $22,580 or less a year ($10.86 an hour); the top 10% make $42,910 or more.
Which state pays cooks the most?
Hawaii, with a median of $48,120 a year, followed by District of Columbia ($44,670) and California ($42,050).
Which city pays cooks the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $47,220 a year.
How many cooks are there in the United States?
About 641,070 people work as cooks.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.