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First cook salary
Average first cook salary
$16.37
$34,044 yearly
Entry-level first cook salary
$27,000 yearly salaryUpdated January 8, 2025
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First cook salary by:
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Average first cook salary by state
Highest paying states for first cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $42,668 | $20.51 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $47,734 | $22.95 |
| 3 | Idaho | $38,097 | $18.32 |
| 4 | Washington | $45,506 | $21.88 |
| 5 | Alaska | $39,118 | $18.81 |
| 6 | Arizona | $35,309 | $16.98 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $37,174 | $17.87 |
| 8 | Colorado | $36,294 | $17.45 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $36,782 | $17.68 |
| 10 | Oregon | $38,961 | $18.73 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $39,758 | $19.11 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $39,711 | $19.09 |
| 13 | California | $38,845 | $18.68 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $35,289 | $16.97 |
| 15 | Missouri | $33,411 | $16.06 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $36,848 | $17.72 |
| 17 | Vermont | $36,977 | $17.78 |
| 18 | Michigan | $33,092 | $15.91 |
| 19 | New York | $37,196 | $17.88 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $36,274 | $17.44 |
| 21 | Utah | $33,465 | $16.09 |
| 22 | Illinois | $33,748 | $16.23 |
| 23 | Maine | $35,406 | $17.02 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $31,865 | $15.32 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | $38,362 | $18.44 |
| 26 | Georgia | $32,450 | $15.60 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $34,645 | $16.66 |
| 28 | Ohio | $31,199 | $15.00 |
| 29 | Florida | $30,183 | $14.51 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $32,899 | $15.82 |
| 31 | Montana | $32,032 | $15.40 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $30,586 | $14.70 |
| 33 | Delaware | $33,454 | $16.08 |
| 34 | Pennsylvania | $30,905 | $14.86 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $28,122 | $13.52 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $27,531 | $13.24 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $27,980 | $13.45 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $28,958 | $13.92 |
| 39 | Indiana | $27,556 | $13.25 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $27,322 | $13.14 |
| 41 | Kansas | $27,634 | $13.29 |
| 42 | Maryland | $32,228 | $15.49 |
| 43 | Iowa | $28,995 | $13.94 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $30,137 | $14.49 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $26,674 | $12.82 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $27,567 | $13.25 |
| 47 | Texas | $26,983 | $12.97 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $23,831 | $11.46 |
| 49 | Virginia | $28,592 | $13.75 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $25,436 | $12.23 |
| 51 | Alabama | $25,556 | $12.29 |
First cook salary details
A first cook's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a first cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| Average | $34,044 | $2,837 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
Highest paying first cook jobs
The highest paying types of first cooks are head cook, lead cook, and banquet cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Cook, Prep Cook | $32,982 | $2,748 | $15.86 | 164,756 |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | $34,435 | $2,870 | $16.56 | 133,370 |
| Prep Cook/Dishwasher | $31,687 | $2,641 | $15.23 | 126,351 |
| Mexican Food Cook | $31,039 | $2,587 | $14.92 | 275,588 |
| Lead Line Cook | $34,293 | $2,858 | $16.49 | 173,672 |
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$36,000$35,400$34,800$34,200$33,600$33,000
MaleFemale
First cook salary trends
The average first cook salary has risen by $7,943 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average first cook earned $26,101 annually, but today, they earn $34,044 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for first cooks over the last decade.
Compare first cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average first cook salary over time
Compare first cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
First cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,000 | $16.37 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $32,900 | $15.79 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $31,400 | $15.08 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $29,800 | $14.31 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $28,500 | $13.72 | +4.3% |
Recently added first cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuvance Health | First Cook | Poughkeepsie, NY | 06/25/2025 | $44,975 |
| Northwell Health | First Cook-Temp | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $62,610 |
| Bethesda Health | First Cook, Dietary, Varies | Miami, FL | 06/21/2025 | $36,585 |
| Baptisthlth | First Cook, Dietary, Varies | Miami, FL | 06/21/2025 | $36,585 |
| Baptist Health South Florida | First Cook, Dietary, Varies | Miami, FL | 06/18/2025 | $36,585 |
| St. Cloud Area School District 742 | First Cook | Nore, MN | 06/13/2025 | $43,097 |
| Williams College | First Cook-Driscoll Dining Hall | Williamstown, MA | 06/09/2025 | $62,610 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | First Cook | Bennington, VT | 06/04/2025 | $44,766 |
| Warner Bros Discovery Inc. | First Cook | Burbank, CA | 05/29/2025 | $50,109 |
| Bethesda Health | First Cook, Dietary, Varies | Miami, FL | 05/26/2025 | $36,585 |
First cook salary FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025