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Kitchen cook salary
Average kitchen cook salary
$15.12
Average Kitchen Cook Salary
The average salary for a Kitchen Cook in the United States is approximately $31,452 per year. This figure can vary based on location, experience, and the type of establishment where one is employed. For instance, cooks in upscale restaurants may earn significantly more compared to those in fast-food chains.
Salary by State
Geography plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for skilled cooks. Understanding these regional variations can help job seekers target their applications effectively.
Impact of Experience
Experience also influences earnings. Entry-level cooks may start at around $12 per hour, while those with several years in the kitchen can command $18 or more, depending on their skills and the complexity of the dishes prepared. Cooks who specialize in certain cuisines or dietary restrictions may find additional opportunities for higher pay.
Career Advancement
Many cooks progress to roles such as head chef or kitchen manager, which can lead to salaries exceeding $50,000 annually. Pursuing culinary certifications and continuing education can further enhance earning potential.
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Where can a Kitchen Cook earn more?
Kitchen cook salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level kitchen cook | $23,600 | $11.34 |
| Mid-level kitchen cook | $28,500 | $13.69 |
| Senior-level kitchen cook | $33,800 | $16.27 |
Kitchen cook salary estimates from across the web
Average kitchen cook salary by state
The average kitchen cook salary in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average kitchen cook salary states are Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for kitchen cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $34,449 | $16.56 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $39,264 | $18.88 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $40,182 | $19.32 |
| 4 | Illinois | $35,317 | $16.98 |
| 5 | Ohio | $31,796 | $15.29 |
| 6 | Idaho | $34,042 | $16.37 |
| 7 | Washington | $38,697 | $18.60 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $37,536 | $18.05 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $33,876 | $16.29 |
| 10 | Oregon | $36,561 | $17.58 |
| 11 | Nevada | $32,506 | $15.63 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $33,344 | $16.03 |
| 13 | Utah | $31,393 | $15.09 |
| 14 | Maine | $32,837 | $15.79 |
| 15 | Alaska | $33,927 | $16.31 |
| 16 | Colorado | $31,824 | $15.30 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $31,834 | $15.30 |
| 18 | Missouri | $30,227 | $14.53 |
| 19 | Kansas | $29,428 | $14.15 |
| 20 | Vermont | $33,797 | $16.25 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $36,726 | $17.66 |
| 22 | Indiana | $29,127 | $14.00 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $36,250 | $17.43 |
| 24 | New York | $33,345 | $16.03 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $31,790 | $15.28 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $28,597 | $13.75 |
| 27 | California | $33,143 | $15.93 |
| 28 | New Hampshire | $30,881 | $14.85 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $26,139 | $12.57 |
| 30 | Michigan | $27,600 | $13.27 |
| 31 | Iowa | $27,865 | $13.40 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $29,728 | $14.29 |
| 33 | Texas | $26,597 | $12.79 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $28,853 | $13.87 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $26,856 | $12.91 |
| 36 | Delaware | $30,892 | $14.85 |
| 37 | Florida | $26,089 | $12.54 |
| 38 | Montana | $28,403 | $13.66 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $25,215 | $12.12 |
| 40 | Maryland | $29,506 | $14.19 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $24,287 | $11.68 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $26,830 | $12.90 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $24,746 | $11.90 |
| 44 | Pennsylvania | $25,462 | $12.24 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $23,494 | $11.30 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $23,045 | $11.08 |
| 47 | Alabama | $23,591 | $11.34 |
| 48 | Georgia | $23,767 | $11.43 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $21,797 | $10.48 |
| 50 | Virginia | $25,760 | $12.38 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $23,336 | $11.22 |
Highest paying cities for kitchen cooks
The highest-paying cities for kitchen cooks are Boston, MA, Vancouver, WA, and Atlantic City, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $40,212 | $19.33 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $38,872 | $18.69 |
| 3 | Atlantic City, NJ | $36,776 | $17.68 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | $36,574 | $17.58 |
| 5 | Glendale, AZ | $34,625 | $16.65 |
| 6 | Yonkers, NY | $33,374 | $16.05 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | $32,848 | $15.79 |
| 8 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,258 | $15.51 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $31,847 | $15.31 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $31,404 | $15.10 |
| 11 | Columbus, OH | $31,166 | $14.98 |
| 12 | Kansas City, MO | $30,404 | $14.62 |
| 13 | Kansas City, KS | $29,463 | $14.16 |
| 14 | Fort Worth, TX | $26,852 | $12.91 |
| 15 | Clermont, FL | $26,176 | $12.58 |
| 16 | Franklin, TN | $26,165 | $12.58 |
| 17 | Easton, PA | $25,795 | $12.40 |
| 18 | Raleigh, NC | $24,927 | $11.98 |
| 19 | Oklahoma City, OK | $24,289 | $11.68 |
| 20 | Morgantown, WV | $23,995 | $11.54 |
Kitchen cook salary details
A kitchen cook's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $38,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a kitchen cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18 |
| 75th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| Average | $31,452 | $2,621 | $15 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying kitchen cook jobs
The highest paying types of kitchen cooks are head cook, lead cook, and assistant cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook/Dishwasher | $31,703 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 133,000 |
| Cook/Server | $29,716 | $2,476 | $14.29 | 257,582 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Fry Cook | $30,622 | $2,552 | $14.72 | 246,323 |
| Short Order Cook | $30,734 | $2,561 | $14.78 | 176,187 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
Top companies hiring kitchen cooks now:
Which companies pay kitchen cooks the most?
Kitchen cook salaries at Hilltop Ski Area and Bon Appétit Management are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average kitchen cook salary at companies like Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and Tulalip Resort Casino are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hilltop Ski Area | $36,973 | $17.78 |
| 2 | Bon Appétit Management | $36,050 | $17.33 |
| 3 | Fantasy Springs Resort Casino | $35,632 | $17.13 |
| 4 | Tulalip Resort Casino | $35,059 | $16.86 |
| 5 | Valley View Casino & Hotel | $34,996 | $16.82 |
| 6 | Bertucci's | $34,941 | $16.80 |
| 7 | McCalls Catering & Events | $34,861 | $16.76 |
| 8 | Hyatt Hotels | $34,619 | $16.64 |
| 9 | Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts | $34,470 | $16.57 |
| 10 | Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill | $34,045 | $16.37 |
| 11 | Grand Sierra Resort | $34,034 | $16.36 |
| 12 | TooJay's | $33,751 | $16.23 |
| 13 | Edge Services | $33,721 | $16.21 |
| 14 | Interstate Hotels & Resorts | $33,658 | $16.18 |
| 15 | Burlington Central High School | $33,607 | $16.16 |
| 16 | Market of Choice | $33,520 | $16.12 |
| 17 | Volunteers of America Los Angeles | $33,402 | $16.06 |
| 18 | Penn National Gaming | $33,356 | $16.04 |
| 19 | Park | $33,300 | $16.01 |
| 20 | Reef | $33,208 | $15.97 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Kitchen cook salary trends
The average kitchen cook salary has risen by $7,339 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average kitchen cook earned $24,113 annually, but today, they earn $31,452 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for kitchen cooks over the last decade.
Compare kitchen cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average kitchen cook salary over time
Compare kitchen cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Kitchen cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,500 | $15.12 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $30,300 | $14.59 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $29,000 | $13.93 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $27,500 | $13.22 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $26,400 | $12.67 | +4.3% |
Recently added kitchen cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Kitchen Team Member/Cook | Aurora, CO | 06/28/2025 | $30,908 |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Kitchen Team Member/Cook | Spokane Valley, WA | 06/28/2025 | $34,769 |
| The Goddard School | Kitchen Cook | Princeton, TX | 06/28/2025 | $29,218 |
| Compass Group USA Inc. | Kitchen PM Cook (Full AN | Richardson, TX | 06/27/2025 | $33,392 |
| Littleton Public Schools | Production Kitchen Cook | Boone, CO | 06/27/2025 | $55,326 |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Kitchen Team Member/Cook | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $34,436 |
| Peace Health | Cook-Kitchen | Vancouver, WA | 06/26/2025 | $43,618 |
| Do & Co Aktiengesellschaft | Hot Kitchen Non Halal-Cook | Redondo Beach, CA | 06/26/2025 | $46,457 |
| Landry's | Cook-Main Kitchen (Seasonal) | Atlantic City, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $50,088 |
| Hilton Worldwide | Cook I Outlet Kitchen-Hilton SAN Diego Bayfront | San Diego, CA | 06/25/2025 | $57,706 |
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