Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Assistant cook salary
Average assistant cook salary
$16.46
Understanding Assistant Cook Salaries
The average salary for an Assistant Cook is approximately $34,244 annually, translating to about $16.46 per hour. Compensation can vary significantly based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the type of establishment. For instance, Assistant Cooks in metropolitan areas often earn higher wages compared to those in rural settings.
Salary Breakdown by Experience
Entry-level Assistant Cooks typically start at lower wages, while those with several years of experience may see their salaries increase substantially. For example, Cooks with 5-10 years in the industry can earn around $38,000 to $42,000 annually.
Top Paying States
Some of the highest-paying states for Assistant Cooks include:
- California
- New York
- Washington
- Massachusetts
These states offer competitive salaries, reflecting the higher cost of living and demand for culinary professionals. Understanding these salary dynamics is essential for job seekers aiming to secure a well-paying position in the culinary field.
Let Zippia find your next assistant cook job
Let Zippia find your next assistant cook job
Where can an Assistant Cook earn more?
Assistant cook salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level assistant cook | $25,700 | $12.34 |
| Mid-level assistant cook | $31,000 | $14.91 |
| Senior-level assistant cook | $36,800 | $17.71 |
Assistant cook salary estimates from across the web
Average assistant cook salary by state
The highest-paying states for assistant cooks are California, Washington, and Connecticut. The lowest average assistant cook salary states are Oklahoma, Alabama, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for assistant cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $47,338 | $22.76 |
| 2 | Nevada | $37,328 | $17.95 |
| 3 | Utah | $37,631 | $18.09 |
| 4 | Colorado | $37,983 | $18.26 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $42,403 | $20.39 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $36,703 | $17.65 |
| 7 | Washington | $42,927 | $20.64 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $36,123 | $17.37 |
| 9 | Alaska | $38,775 | $18.64 |
| 10 | Oregon | $39,771 | $19.12 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $40,024 | $19.24 |
| 12 | Idaho | $36,340 | $17.47 |
| 13 | Arizona | $34,294 | $16.49 |
| 14 | New York | $37,993 | $18.27 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $42,091 | $20.24 |
| 16 | Missouri | $32,690 | $15.72 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $33,662 | $16.18 |
| 18 | Maine | $35,502 | $17.07 |
| 19 | Vermont | $36,392 | $17.50 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $34,199 | $16.44 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $34,003 | $16.35 |
| 22 | New Jersey | $36,094 | $17.35 |
| 23 | Florida | $30,779 | $14.80 |
| 24 | Indiana | $30,657 | $14.74 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $31,662 | $15.22 |
| 26 | Rhode Island | $34,786 | $16.72 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $37,754 | $18.15 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $31,405 | $15.10 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $33,775 | $16.24 |
| 30 | Ohio | $28,571 | $13.74 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $28,269 | $13.59 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $31,328 | $15.06 |
| 33 | Texas | $28,878 | $13.88 |
| 34 | Virginia | $32,645 | $15.69 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $28,953 | $13.92 |
| 36 | Michigan | $28,799 | $13.85 |
| 37 | Illinois | $30,370 | $14.60 |
| 38 | Iowa | $29,564 | $14.21 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $27,768 | $13.35 |
| 40 | Delaware | $32,318 | $15.54 |
| 41 | Georgia | $28,768 | $13.83 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $26,637 | $12.81 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $27,180 | $13.07 |
| 44 | Montana | $28,777 | $13.84 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $27,300 | $13.13 |
| 46 | Maryland | $30,770 | $14.79 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $24,783 | $11.91 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $24,919 | $11.98 |
| 49 | Kansas | $24,667 | $11.86 |
| 50 | Alabama | $26,462 | $12.72 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $24,397 | $11.73 |
Highest paying cities for assistant cooks
The highest-paying cities for assistant cooks are San Francisco, CA, Hartford, CT, and Cambridge, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $49,160 | $23.63 |
| 2 | Hartford, CT | $42,807 | $20.58 |
| 3 | Cambridge, MA | $40,097 | $19.28 |
| 4 | Syracuse, NY | $38,631 | $18.57 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $38,468 | $18.49 |
| 6 | Boulder, CO | $38,128 | $18.33 |
| 7 | Clearfield, UT | $37,619 | $18.09 |
| 8 | Newark, NJ | $36,285 | $17.44 |
| 9 | Fargo, ND | $34,136 | $16.41 |
| 10 | Farmington, NM | $32,642 | $15.69 |
| 11 | Omaha, NE | $31,316 | $15.06 |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $30,967 | $14.89 |
| 13 | Miami, FL | $30,949 | $14.88 |
| 14 | Aurora, IL | $30,382 | $14.61 |
| 15 | Greenwood, IN | $30,305 | $14.57 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $29,020 | $13.95 |
| 17 | Farmington Hills, MI | $28,795 | $13.84 |
Assistant cook salary details
An assistant cook's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $43,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an assistant cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $34,244 | $2,854 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying assistant cook jobs
The highest paying types of assistant cooks are head cook, assistant, and lead cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook/Dietary Aide | $27,490 | $2,291 | $13.22 | 163,273 |
| Cook/Dishwasher | $31,703 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 133,000 |
| Prep Cook/Dishwasher | $31,687 | $2,641 | $15.23 | 126,351 |
| Line Cook/Dishwasher | $34,435 | $2,870 | $16.56 | 133,370 |
| Prep Cook | $32,292 | $2,691 | $15.53 | 168,265 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
Top companies hiring assistant cooks now:
Which companies pay assistant cooks the most?
Assistant cook salaries at University of California, Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average assistant cook salary at companies like Santa Rosa City Schools and Eagle Ranch are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | $44,028 | $21.17 |
| 2 | UC Santa Barbara | $40,236 | $19.34 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $40,095 | $19.28 |
| 4 | Eagle Ranch | $40,015 | $19.24 |
| 5 | Brighton Central School District | $39,646 | $19.06 |
| 6 | State of Connecticut | $38,012 | $18.27 |
| 7 | Carnival Cruise Line | $37,641 | $18.10 |
| 8 | BronxWorks | $37,543 | $18.05 |
| 9 | Brea Olinda Unified School District | $37,471 | $18.01 |
| 10 | SITRIN CHARLES T HEALTH CARE | $37,046 | $17.81 |
| 11 | Tustin Unified School District | $36,690 | $17.64 |
| 12 | Standing Rock High School | $36,463 | $17.53 |
| 13 | HealthTrust | $36,061 | $17.34 |
| 14 | Care New England Health System | $35,713 | $17.17 |
| 15 | The Nutrition Group | $35,107 | $16.88 |
| 16 | Remote | $34,916 | $16.79 |
| 17 | Maryland School for the Blind | $34,903 | $16.78 |
| 18 | Rolling Hills | $34,851 | $16.76 |
| 19 | Westminster | $34,760 | $16.71 |
| 20 | American House Senior Living Communities | $34,751 | $16.71 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Assistant Cook salary by industry
The average assistant cook salary varies across industries:
- The average assistant cook salary in the hospitality industry is $35,456, the highest of any industry.
- The average assistant cook salary in the finance industry is $35,095.
- Assistant cooks in the health care industry earn an average salary of $32,819, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for assistant cooks
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $35,456 | $17.05 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $35,095 | $16.87 |
| 3 | Education | $34,476 | $16.57 |
| 4 | Health Care | $32,819 | $15.78 |
High paying assistant cook jobs
Assistant cook salary trends
The average assistant cook salary has risen by $7,990 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average assistant cook earned $26,254 annually, but today, they earn $34,244 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for assistant cooks over the last decade.
Compare assistant cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average assistant cook salary over time
Compare assistant cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Assistant cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $34,200 | $16.46 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $33,000 | $15.89 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $31,500 | $15.17 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $29,900 | $14.39 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $28,700 | $13.80 | +4.3% |
Recently added assistant cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health | Nutrition Services Assistant Ll-Cook | Duluth, MN | 06/28/2025 | $34,248 |
| Park County School District 1 | Assistant Cook and Associate Custodian | Powell, WY | 06/28/2025 | $35,583 |
| Harbor Day Care Center | Assistant Cook | Mineola, NY | 06/28/2025 | $35,479 |
| Edgewood | Assistant Cook | Brainerd, MN | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Suny College of Technology at Delhi | Assistant Cook I | Delhi, NY | 06/27/2025 | $36,042 |
| East Side House Settlement | Assistant Cook, Older Adults | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $41,740 |
| Rwjbarnabas Health | Assistant Cook | Newark, NJ | 06/25/2025 | $42,137 |
| Mandan Public School District | Nutrition Services-Assistant Cook | Mandan, ND | 06/25/2025 | $36,376 |
| Massillon City Schools | Assistant Cook(S) | Massillon, OH | 06/22/2025 | $27,987 |
| Bright Horizons Family Solutions | Assistant Cook, Child Care Center | Naples, FL | 06/21/2025 | $31,305 |
Assistant cook salary FAQs
Search for assistant cook jobs