Best states for a dietary cook

Q: What is the best state for dietary cooks?

The best state to be a dietary cook is Mississippi based on dietary cook salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for dietary cooks?

The highest paying state for dietary cooks is Louisiana based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for dietary cooks?

The worst state for dietary cooks is Maryland, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

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Are you wondering which place in the United States is the best state for dietary cooks? Knowing how challenging it is to figure out where to start your career or where to move to advance your career, we decided to bring you a list of best states for dietary cook jobs.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of dietary cooks in America is $34,000.

The median salary for dietary cooks in Mississippi is $34,166. Compare that to the median salary in Maryland of $21,602, which ranked worst for dietary cooks, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a dietary cook, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for dietary cooks in 2025

1. Mississippi
Total dietary cook jobs: 608
Average annual salary: $34,166
Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Location Quotient:
1.6
Dietary cook jobs in Mississippi
2. Utah
Total dietary cook jobs: 503
Average annual salary: $38,765
Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $49,000
Location Quotient:
0.88
Dietary cook jobs in Utah
3. Alaska
Total dietary cook jobs: 119
Average annual salary: $38,408
Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $47,000
Location Quotient:
0.8
Dietary cook jobs in Alaska
4. Nebraska
Total dietary cook jobs: 311
Average annual salary: $35,601
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $45,000
Location Quotient:
0.78
Dietary cook jobs in Nebraska
5. Idaho
Total dietary cook jobs: 262
Average annual salary: $34,575
Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Location Quotient:
0.89
Dietary cook jobs in Idaho
6. North Dakota
Total dietary cook jobs: 121
Average annual salary: $35,989
Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $44,000
Location Quotient:
0.73
Dietary cook jobs in North Dakota
7. Indiana
Total dietary cook jobs: 1,592
Average annual salary: $30,854
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
1.35
Dietary cook jobs in Indiana
8. Nevada
Total dietary cook jobs: 383
Average annual salary: $31,945
Lowest 10 percent earn: $25,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Location Quotient:
1.02
Dietary cook jobs in Nevada
9. Arizona
Total dietary cook jobs: 1,240
Average annual salary: $31,327
Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
Dietary cook jobs in Arizona
10. Maine
Total dietary cook jobs: 182
Average annual salary: $32,637
Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Location Quotient:
0.77
Dietary cook jobs in Maine

Dietary cook jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a dietary cook

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a dietary cook

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Mississippi	$34,166	$27,000	2,984,100	608
2	Utah	$38,765	$30,000	3,101,833	503
3	Alaska	$38,408	$31,000	739,795	119
4	Nebraska	$35,601	$28,000	1,920,076	311
5	Idaho	$34,575	$27,000	1,716,943	262
6	North Dakota	$35,989	$28,000	755,393	121
7	Indiana	$30,854	$24,000	6,666,818	1,592
8	Nevada	$31,945	$25,000	2,998,039	383
9	Arizona	$31,327	$24,000	7,016,270	1,240
10	Maine	$32,637	$27,000	1,335,907	182
11	Massachusetts	$34,024	$28,000	6,859,819	993
12	Wyoming	$29,602	$23,000	579,315	96
13	Vermont	$33,523	$27,000	623,657	65
14	California	$34,327	$27,000	39,536,653	3,760
15	Tennessee	$26,744	$21,000	6,715,984	1,671
16	Oklahoma	$27,580	$21,000	3,930,864	862
17	Michigan	$27,699	$22,000	9,962,311	1,388
18	Colorado	$29,621	$23,000	5,607,154	1,147
19	Pennsylvania	$28,112	$22,000	12,805,537	1,985
20	Kentucky	$26,809	$21,000	4,454,189	963
21	Oregon	$30,840	$24,000	4,142,776	502
22	New York	$31,597	$25,000	19,849,399	1,664
23	Montana	$28,670	$22,000	1,050,493	186
24	West Virginia	$26,848	$21,000	1,815,857	267
25	Minnesota	$28,429	$22,000	5,576,606	1,049
26	New Hampshire	$29,483	$24,000	1,342,795	180
27	Rhode Island	$29,275	$24,000	1,059,639	125
28	North Carolina	$27,111	$21,000	10,273,419	1,970
29	Alabama	$27,027	$21,000	4,874,747	748
30	Hawaii	$31,489	$26,000	1,427,538	99
31	Ohio	$25,745	$20,000	11,658,609	2,102
32	South Dakota	$27,441	$21,000	869,666	110
33	Georgia	$26,436	$21,000	10,429,379	1,825
34	Delaware	$27,890	$22,000	961,939	142
35	Virginia	$27,385	$22,000	8,470,020	1,288
36	South Carolina	$24,865	$20,000	5,024,369	976
37	Connecticut	$27,628	$22,000	3,588,184	409
38	Iowa	$25,286	$20,000	3,145,711	643
39	Washington	$27,516	$21,000	7,405,743	776
40	Wisconsin	$26,266	$20,000	5,795,483	807
41	Kansas	$23,750	$18,000	2,913,123	743
42	New Mexico	$24,900	$19,000	2,088,070	362
43	Florida	$24,036	$19,000	20,984,400	3,987
44	Arkansas	$22,731	$18,000	3,004,279	662
45	Missouri	$23,468	$18,000	6,113,532	1,293
46	Texas	$22,931	$17,000	28,304,596	5,127
47	District of Columbia	$27,638	$22,000	693,972	80
48	Louisiana	$21,307	$16,000	4,684,333	846
49	Illinois	$23,861	$18,000	12,802,023	2,034
50	New Jersey	$25,496	$20,000	9,005,644	1,005
51	Maryland	$21,602	$17,000	6,052,177	873

Highest paying states for dietary cooks

Rank	State	Avg. Dietary Cook Salary
1	Mississippi	$34,166
2	Utah	$38,765
3	Alaska	$38,408
4	Nebraska	$35,601
5	Idaho	$34,575
6	North Dakota	$35,989
7	Indiana	$30,854
8	Nevada	$31,945
9	Arizona	$31,327
10	Maine	$32,637
11	Massachusetts	$34,024
12	Wyoming	$29,602
13	Vermont	$33,523
14	California	$34,327
15	Tennessee	$26,744
16	Oklahoma	$27,580
17	Michigan	$27,699
18	Colorado	$29,621
19	Pennsylvania	$28,112
20	Kentucky	$26,809
21	Oregon	$30,840
22	New York	$31,597
23	Montana	$28,670
24	West Virginia	$26,848
25	Minnesota	$28,429
26	New Hampshire	$29,483
27	Rhode Island	$29,275
28	North Carolina	$27,111
29	Alabama	$27,027
30	Hawaii	$31,489
31	Ohio	$25,745
32	South Dakota	$27,441
33	Georgia	$26,436
34	Delaware	$27,890
35	Virginia	$27,385
36	South Carolina	$24,865
37	Connecticut	$27,628
38	Iowa	$25,286
39	Washington	$27,516
40	Wisconsin	$26,266
41	Kansas	$23,750
42	New Mexico	$24,900
43	Florida	$24,036
44	Arkansas	$22,731
45	Missouri	$23,468
46	Texas	$22,931
47	District of Columbia	$27,638
48	Louisiana	$21,307
49	Illinois	$23,861
50	New Jersey	$25,496
51	Maryland	$21,602

Dietary cook best states FAQs

What is the best state for dietary cooks?

What is the highest paying state for dietary cooks?

What is the worst state for dietary cooks?

Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.

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Food Preparation and Restaurant Industry
Dietary Cook
Best states for Dietary Cooks

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse food preparation and restaurant jobs

Total dietary cook jobs:	608
Average annual salary:	$34,166
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$27,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$42,000
Location Quotient:	1.6

Best states for a dietary cook

10 best states for dietary cooks in 2025

1. Mississippi

2. Utah

3. Alaska

4. Nebraska

5. Idaho

6. North Dakota

7. Indiana

8. Nevada

9. Arizona

10. Maine