Cooks, Restaurant Salary in U.S.
SOC 35-2014 · National · 2024 BLS OEWS
The median salary for a Cooks, Restaurant in U.S. is $36,830 per year as of 2024. That works out to roughly $17.71 per hour. 1,452,130 people work as Cooks, Restaurants in U.S.. Wages have grown 64% since 2014, when the median was $22,490.
Median Annual Salary
$36,830
Mean Annual
$37,730
Median Hourly
$17.71
Total Employed
1,452,130
Salary Distribution
$28k
10th
$31k
25th
$37k
Median
$44k
75th
$47k
90th
Salary by Industry
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Land Subdivision | $50,560 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $50,560 |
| Religious Organizations | $48,970 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $47,150 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $47,150 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $47,150 |
| General Merchandise Retailers | $46,460 |
| Casino Hotels | $46,160 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $45,900 |
| Hospitals | $44,610 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $44,220 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $44,020 |
| Book Retailers and News Dealers | $43,930 |
| Other Personal Services | $43,580 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $43,580 |
| Facilities Support Services | $42,520 |
| Traveler Accommodation | $42,480 |
| Construction | $42,460 |
| Accommodation | $42,390 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $42,120 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $42,050 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $41,960 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $41,570 |
| Personal Care Services | $41,380 |
| Gambling Industries | $40,660 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades | $40,340 |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers | $39,970 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water | $39,890 |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $39,750 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $39,520 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $39,350 |
| Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters | $39,340 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | $39,340 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | $39,320 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $39,320 |
| Special Food Services | $39,210 |
| Performing Arts Companies | $38,980 |
| Spectator Sports | $38,930 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers | $38,840 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $38,840 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $38,680 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | $38,670 |
| Real Estate | $38,630 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $38,600 |
| Employment Services | $38,600 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $38,600 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation | $38,520 |
| Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation | $38,470 |
| Water Transportation | $38,470 |
| Temporary Help Services | $38,340 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers | $37,790 |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $37,740 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $37,520 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $37,520 |
| Retail Trade | $37,470 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $37,260 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $37,040 |
| Beverage Manufacturing | $36,990 |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $36,990 |
| Manufacturing | $36,960 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $36,900 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $36,850 |
| Food Manufacturing | $36,850 |
| Wholesale Trade | $36,850 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $36,850 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $36,810 |
| Full-Service Restaurants | $36,770 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $36,750 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | $36,630 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $36,630 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | $36,620 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $36,210 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $36,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $36,160 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $36,160 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) | $36,070 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers | $35,930 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps | $35,920 |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $35,840 |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions | $35,840 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $35,640 |
| Motion Picture and Video Exhibition | $35,610 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | $35,610 |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $35,610 |
| Information | $35,610 |
| Educational Services | $35,130 |
| Educational Services | $35,130 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | $34,790 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | $34,600 |
| RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps | $34,330 |
| Office Administrative Services | $33,700 |
| Sporting Goods Retailers | $33,630 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers | $33,390 |
| Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services | $33,280 |
| Social Assistance | $33,280 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $32,760 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $32,700 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $32,550 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $32,380 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $31,200 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $31,200 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $31,200 |
| Junior Colleges | $30,600 |
| Florists | $29,120 |
| Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers | $28,220 |
| Gasoline Stations | $28,220 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations | $27,040 |
| Construction of Buildings | $26,820 |
| Residential Building Construction | $26,820 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers (4594 and 4595 only) | $26,720 |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers | $26,670 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $26,320 |
Salary Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $36,830 |
| 2023 | $35,780 |
| 2022 | $34,110 |
| 2021 | $30,010 |
| 2020 | $28,800 |
| 2019 | $27,790 |
| 2018 | $26,530 |
| 2017 | $25,180 |
| 2016 | $24,140 |
| 2015 | $23,100 |
| 2014 | $22,490 |
Related Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations Jobs in U.S.
Other occupations in the same group, sorted by salary.
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $60,990 |
| Cooks, Private Household | $44,530 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $42,010 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $36,450 |
| Cooks, All Other | $36,210 |
| Cooks, Short Order | $35,620 |