Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$53,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+5.5%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
3,700
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cooks, All Other salary by industry
Food Services and Drinking Places
6,980 workers
$40,500
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
3,830 workers
$37,500
Food and Beverage Retailers
3,150 workers
$40,000
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
3,130 workers
$40,000
Special Food Services
3,050 workers
$44,000
Food Manufacturing
1,660 workers
$39,000
Accommodation
1,460 workers
$46,500
Traveler Accommodation
1,060 workers
$44,000
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
920 workers
$39,000
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries
850 workers
$37,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cooks, All Other pays 0% below the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).
Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving
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