Line Cook Salary By State: Highest-Paid Line Cooks by State [2026]
Research Summary. Following thorough analysis by the Zippia data science team, we present the latest data on line cook salaries across the United States for 2026:
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Hawaii boasts the highest line cook salary at $45,602.
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Mississippi has the lowest line cook salary at $22,619.
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The national average salary for line cooks is $32,894.
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The national hourly wage for line cooks stands at $15.81.
For further details, you can read about our specific methodology.
Background
Salary remains the primary factor in job satisfaction for many individuals, consistently ranking at the top of importance in various surveys. For aspiring or current line cooks, understanding local salary expectations is crucial.
While your exact earnings might vary based on your specific city or establishment, we provide comprehensive data on average salaries for line cooks by state, which can serve as a reliable benchmark for your salary expectations.
Currently, Hawaii leads the nation with the highest salary for line cooks.
Here’s a snapshot of the top ten states offering the best salaries for line cooks:
Let’s delve into more details and see the full ranking of salaries by state.
Highest-Paid Line Cooks By State
| Rank | State | Average Line Cook Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $45,602 | $36,000 | $57,000 |
| 2 | Washington | $40,911 | $32,000 | $51,000 |
| 3 | California | $38,746 | $30,000 | $49,000 |
| 4 | New York | $36,745 | $29,000 | $46,000 |
| 5 | Oregon | $36,322 | $28,000 | $45,000 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $36,107 | $29,000 | $44,000 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $35,847 | $28,000 | $44,000 |
| 8 | Alaska | $35,759 | $29,000 | $43,000 |
| 9 | Vermont | $35,723 | $29,000 | $43,000 |
| 10 | Colorado | $35,466 | $27,000 | $45,000 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $34,483 | $27,000 | $43,000 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $34,460 | $27,000 | $42,000 |
| 13 | Nevada | $34,347 | $27,000 | $43,000 |
| 14 | Maine | $33,323 | $27,000 | $40,000 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $33,211 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $32,912 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $32,865 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 18 | Arizona | $32,634 | $25,000 | $41,000 |
| 19 | Utah | $32,604 | $25,000 | $41,000 |
| 20 | Delaware | $31,717 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 21 | Illinois | $31,639 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $31,187 | $24,000 | $39,000 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $31,179 | $24,000 | $39,000 |
| 24 | Maryland | $30,824 | $24,000 | $39,000 |
| 25 | Idaho | $30,635 | $24,000 | $38,000 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $30,403 | $23,000 | $38,000 |
| 27 | Michigan | $30,285 | $23,000 | $38,000 |
| 28 | Wisconsin | $30,149 | $23,000 | $38,000 |
| 29 | Florida | $29,935 | $23,000 | $38,000 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $29,384 | $23,000 | $37,000 |
| 31 | Montana | $29,200 | $23,000 | $36,000 |
| 32 | Texas | $29,127 | $22,000 | $37,000 |
| 33 | Virginia | $28,933 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 34 | Ohio | $28,778 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $28,671 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $28,533 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 37 | Missouri | $28,495 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 38 | Iowa | $28,488 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 39 | Georgia | $28,388 | $22,000 | $36,000 |
| 40 | Kansas | $28,087 | $22,000 | $35,000 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $27,933 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $27,463 | $21,000 | $35,000 |
| 43 | Indiana | $27,390 | $21,000 | $34,000 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $26,835 | $21,000 | $34,000 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $26,239 | $20,000 | $33,000 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $26,107 | $20,000 | $33,000 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $25,022 | $19,000 | $32,000 |
| 48 | Alabama | $24,626 | $19,000 | $31,000 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $24,545 | $19,000 | $31,000 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $22,619 | $17,000 | $29,000 |
Methodology: Line Cook Salary By State
To provide insights into line cook salaries by state, Zippia has compiled data from various channels, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Certification (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We supplement this data with actual salary listings from job postings. Our data science team then calculates a weighted average to create accurate average salaries for line cooks by state.
The average annual salary data is derived from these estimates, allowing us to rank each state based on the average salary for line cooks.
Line Cook Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for line cooks?
The highest-paid state for line cooks is Hawaii, with an average salary of $45,602 per year.
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What city pays line cooks the most?
Seattle, WA offers the highest salary for line cooks at an average of $41,098 per year.
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What is the worst state for line cooks?
The state with the lowest average salary for line cooks is Mississippi, with an average salary of $22,619 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
