Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Kitchen worker salary
Average kitchen worker salary
$13.81
Understanding Kitchen Worker Salaries
The average kitchen worker salary is reported to be around $28,720 annually, or about $14 per hour, as of October 2025. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, kitchen workers in metropolitan areas often earn higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living.
Salary by State
Kitchen worker salaries differ from state to state. For example, states like California and New York offer some of the highest salaries in this field, often exceeding the national average. Conversely, rural areas may present lower salary ranges.
Experience Matters
Experience also plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level kitchen workers may start closer to minimum wage, whereas those with several years of experience or specialized skills can command higher pay. As a kitchen worker, pursuing certifications or advanced culinary skills can also enhance earning potential.
For job seekers, exploring opportunities in various sectors—such as catering, fine dining, and institutional food service—can lead to better salary prospects. By understanding these dynamics, kitchen workers can navigate their career paths more effectively.
Let Zippi find your next kitchen worker job
Let Zippi find your next kitchen worker job
Where can a Kitchen Worker earn more?
Kitchen worker salaries by experience level
Kitchen worker salary estimates from across the web
Average kitchen worker salary by state
The average kitchen worker salary in Washington, Alaska, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average kitchen worker salary states are Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Georgia.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for kitchen workers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $35,255 | $16.95 |
| 2 | Alaska | $34,194 | $16.44 |
| 3 | California | $33,924 | $16.31 |
| 4 | Oregon | $31,039 | $14.92 |
| 5 | South Dakota | $27,101 | $13.03 |
| 6 | Utah | $28,408 | $13.66 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $32,449 | $15.60 |
| 8 | Maine | $30,504 | $14.67 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $29,962 | $14.40 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $31,436 | $15.11 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $34,364 | $16.52 |
| 12 | Colorado | $29,384 | $14.13 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $27,098 | $13.03 |
| 14 | Delaware | $29,035 | $13.96 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $30,810 | $14.81 |
| 16 | New York | $32,192 | $15.48 |
| 17 | Vermont | $29,922 | $14.39 |
| 18 | North Dakota | $28,652 | $13.78 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $26,824 | $12.90 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $26,723 | $12.85 |
| 21 | Michigan | $26,123 | $12.56 |
| 22 | Arizona | $27,145 | $13.05 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $25,234 | $12.13 |
| 24 | Ohio | $26,079 | $12.54 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $25,008 | $12.02 |
| 26 | Montana | $27,055 | $13.01 |
| 27 | Idaho | $25,418 | $12.22 |
| 28 | Virginia | $26,261 | $12.63 |
| 29 | Maryland | $29,070 | $13.98 |
| 30 | Texas | $23,988 | $11.53 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $29,184 | $14.03 |
| 32 | Florida | $23,972 | $11.53 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $26,710 | $12.84 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $24,312 | $11.69 |
| 35 | Nevada | $25,880 | $12.44 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $23,278 | $11.19 |
| 37 | Illinois | $25,150 | $12.09 |
| 38 | Missouri | $22,937 | $11.03 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $24,073 | $11.57 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $23,012 | $11.06 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $24,348 | $11.71 |
| 42 | Kansas | $23,118 | $11.11 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $20,415 | $9.81 |
| 44 | Indiana | $22,937 | $11.03 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $22,831 | $10.98 |
| 46 | Iowa | $23,300 | $11.20 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $22,316 | $10.73 |
| 48 | Georgia | $20,896 | $10.05 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $18,648 | $8.97 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $21,985 | $10.57 |
| 51 | Alabama | $19,336 | $9.30 |
Highest paying cities for kitchen workers
The highest-paying cities for kitchen workers are Santa Rosa, CA, Burlington, MA, and Cheshire, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $35,284 | $16.96 |
| 2 | Burlington, MA | $31,458 | $15.12 |
| 3 | Cheshire, CT | $30,020 | $14.43 |
| 4 | Chandler, AZ | $27,167 | $13.06 |
| 5 | Whitehall, PA | $27,063 | $13.01 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $26,523 | $12.75 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $25,732 | $12.37 |
| 8 | Idaho Falls, ID | $24,802 | $11.92 |
| 9 | Clermont, FL | $24,055 | $11.56 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $23,985 | $11.53 |
| 11 | Albuquerque, NM | $23,331 | $11.22 |
| 12 | Ottumwa, IA | $23,162 | $11.14 |
| 13 | Overland Park, KS | $23,107 | $11.11 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $22,832 | $10.98 |
| 15 | Shreveport, LA | $18,931 | $9.10 |
Kitchen worker salary details
A kitchen worker's salary ranges from $22,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $36,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a kitchen worker's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| 75th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| Average | $28,720 | $2,393 | $14 |
| 25th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $22,000 | $1,833 | $11 |
Highest paying kitchen worker jobs
The highest paying types of kitchen workers are line cook/dishwasher, deli clerk, and catering assistant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Prep | $25,840 | $2,153 | $12.42 | 168,743 |
| Bakery Clerk | $28,651 | $2,388 | $13.77 | 67,778 |
| Food Prep/Dishwasher | $29,964 | $2,497 | $14.41 | 113,200 |
| Prep Cook/Dishwasher | $31,687 | $2,641 | $15.23 | 126,351 |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | $34,435 | $2,870 | $16.56 | 133,370 |
| Cook/Dishwasher | $31,703 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 133,000 |
Top companies hiring kitchen workers now:
Which companies pay kitchen workers the most?
Kitchen worker salaries at Kemps and Erickson Senior Living are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average kitchen worker salary at companies like Kaiser Permanente and Wegmans Food Markets are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kemps | $35,553 | $17.09 |
| 2 | Erickson Senior Living | $32,539 | $15.64 |
| 3 | Kaiser Permanente | $32,473 | $15.61 |
| 4 | Wegmans Food Markets | $31,543 | $15.16 |
| 5 | Treasure Island, FL | $31,128 | $14.97 |
| 6 | Harvard University | $30,930 | $14.87 |
| 7 | The Osborn | $30,780 | $14.80 |
| 8 | Salem Health | $30,608 | $14.72 |
| 9 | Community Renewal Team Inc | $30,204 | $14.52 |
| 10 | Mount Nittany Medical Center | $30,202 | $14.52 |
| 11 | Northwell Health | $30,067 | $14.46 |
| 12 | Emerson Hospital | $29,971 | $14.41 |
| 13 | St Joseph Medical Group | $29,837 | $14.34 |
| 14 | FHI 360 | $29,814 | $14.33 |
| 15 | TKC Holdings | $29,269 | $14.07 |
| 16 | Safe Harbor Marinas | $29,233 | $14.05 |
| 17 | WELL | $29,085 | $13.98 |
| 18 | ManpowerGroup | $29,063 | $13.97 |
| 19 | The GEO Group | $28,849 | $13.87 |
| 20 | PorchLight Group | $28,719 | $13.81 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Kitchen Worker salary by industry
The average kitchen worker salary varies across industries:
- The average kitchen worker salary in the education industry is $30,650, the highest of any industry.
- The average kitchen worker salary in the finance industry is $30,142.
- Kitchen workers in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $27,030, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for kitchen workers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $30,650 | $14.74 |
| 2 | Health Care | $30,142 | $14.49 |
| 3 | Retail | $28,857 | $13.87 |
| 4 | Hospitality | $27,030 | $13.00 |
High paying kitchen worker jobs
Kitchen worker salary trends
The average kitchen worker salary has risen by $7,491 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average kitchen worker earned $21,229 annually, but today, they earn $28,720 a year. That works out to a 22% change in pay for kitchen workers over the last decade.
Compare kitchen worker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average kitchen worker salary over time
Compare kitchen worker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Kitchen worker salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $28,700 | $13.81 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | $27,300 | $13.14 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $26,100 | $12.57 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | $25,000 | $12.04 | +5.7% |
| 2021 | $23,600 | $11.36 | +5.9% |
Recently added kitchen worker salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington School District | Child Nutrition Kitchen Worker | Arlington, WA | 06/30/2025 | $50,965 |
| Erickson Senior Living | Dishwasher/Kitchen Worker | Parkville, MD | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| TKC Holdings | Kitchen Worker | Salem, OR | 06/24/2025 | $41,218 |
| MGM Resorts | Kitchen Worker-MGM Springfield | Springfield, MA | 06/18/2025 | $36,105 |
| TKC Holdings | Kitchen Worker | Tacoma, WA | 06/13/2025 | $43,305 |
| Aramark Corp | Corrections Kitchen Worker-Mercer County CCC | Lambertville, NJ | 06/12/2025 | $37,566 |
| The Salvation Army | Kitchen Worker | Philadelphia, PA | 06/10/2025 | $34,122 |
| The Salvation Army | Kitchen Worker | Cleveland, OH | 06/10/2025 | $33,392 |
| Aramark Corp | Corrections Kitchen Worker-Kent County | Grand Rapids, MI | 06/09/2025 | $37,566 |
| Seneca Resorts | Kitchen Worker | Buffalo, NY | 06/08/2025 | $32,349 |
Kitchen worker salary FAQs
Search for kitchen worker jobs