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Camp cook salary
Average camp cook salary
$15.69
Average Camp Cook Salary
The average salary of a Camp Cook in the United States is $32,630 per year. This figure represents a typical hourly wage of $16. Factors influencing this salary include geographical location, the type of camp (e.g., summer camps, military camps, or outdoor adventure camps), and an individual’s years of experience.
How Much Does a Camp Cook Make?
Entry-level camp cooks can expect to earn around $27,000 annually, while those with more experience can increase their earnings significantly. For instance, camp cooks with five or more years of experience often earn upwards of $38,000.
Where Can a Camp Cook Earn More?
States like California, New York, and Colorado typically offer higher salaries for camp cooks due to a higher cost of living and increased demand for culinary services in recreational areas. Additionally, urban camps often pay more than rural locations.
Highest Paying Cities for Camp Cooks
- San Francisco, CA
- New York, NY
- Denver, CO
By understanding these salary dynamics, camp cooks can better assess job opportunities and negotiate their salaries effectively.
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Where can a Camp Cook earn more?
Camp cook salaries by experience level
Average camp cook salary by state
The average camp cook salary in California, Utah, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average camp cook salary states are Missouri, Texas, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for camp cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $45,313 | $21.79 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $41,696 | $20.05 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $42,936 | $20.64 |
| 4 | Alaska | $43,038 | $20.69 |
| 5 | California | $48,371 | $23.26 |
| 6 | Idaho | $40,158 | $19.31 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $34,328 | $16.50 |
| 8 | Washington | $40,747 | $19.59 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $42,743 | $20.55 |
| 10 | Maine | $37,543 | $18.05 |
| 11 | Maryland | $39,303 | $18.90 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $34,855 | $16.76 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $33,182 | $15.95 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $39,047 | $18.77 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $34,536 | $16.60 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $32,595 | $15.67 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $37,913 | $18.23 |
| 18 | Nevada | $37,661 | $18.11 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $40,388 | $19.42 |
| 20 | Montana | $33,349 | $16.03 |
| 21 | Oregon | $35,871 | $17.25 |
| 22 | Michigan | $33,886 | $16.29 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $32,296 | $15.53 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $34,426 | $16.55 |
| 25 | Delaware | $34,221 | $16.45 |
| 26 | New York | $34,477 | $16.58 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $34,410 | $16.54 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $32,395 | $15.57 |
| 29 | Virginia | $33,391 | $16.05 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $34,198 | $16.44 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $32,936 | $15.83 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $32,108 | $15.44 |
| 33 | Alabama | $32,935 | $15.83 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $32,844 | $15.79 |
| 35 | Colorado | $33,931 | $16.31 |
| 36 | Iowa | $30,470 | $14.65 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $29,183 | $14.03 |
| 38 | Indiana | $31,319 | $15.06 |
| 39 | Vermont | $32,374 | $15.56 |
| 40 | Kansas | $28,508 | $13.71 |
| 41 | Ohio | $31,370 | $15.08 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $27,410 | $13.18 |
| 43 | Arizona | $31,657 | $15.22 |
| 44 | Georgia | $32,089 | $15.43 |
| 45 | District of Columbia | $33,820 | $16.26 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $30,221 | $14.53 |
| 47 | Missouri | $28,934 | $13.91 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $26,383 | $12.68 |
| 49 | Texas | $28,542 | $13.72 |
| 50 | Illinois | $29,027 | $13.96 |
| 51 | Florida | $27,522 | $13.23 |
Highest paying cities for camp cooks
The highest-paying cities for camp cooks are Santa Rosa, CA, New Brunswick, NJ, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $48,991 | $23.55 |
| 2 | New Brunswick, NJ | $37,941 | $18.24 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $34,474 | $16.57 |
| 4 | Englewood, CO | $33,948 | $16.32 |
| 5 | Winchester, VA | $33,761 | $16.23 |
| 6 | Cary, NC | $32,942 | $15.84 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $32,067 | $15.42 |
| 8 | Madison, WI | $31,999 | $15.38 |
| 9 | Mason, OH | $30,941 | $14.88 |
| 10 | Des Moines, IA | $30,436 | $14.63 |
| 11 | Columbia, SC | $30,221 | $14.53 |
| 12 | Grand Prairie, TX | $28,204 | $13.56 |
| 13 | The Villages, FL | $27,466 | $13.20 |
| 14 | Little Rock, AR | $27,374 | $13.16 |
Camp cook salary details
A camp cook's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $39,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a camp cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| Average | $32,630 | $2,719 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying camp cook jobs
The highest paying types of camp cooks are head cook, cook chill technician, and mess cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook/Dietary Aide | $27,490 | $2,291 | $13.22 | 163,273 |
| Dietary Cook | $27,365 | $2,280 | $13.16 | 191,406 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
Top companies hiring camp cooks now:
Which companies pay camp cooks the most?
Camp cook salaries at Santa Clara County Office of Education and Compass Group USA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average camp cook salary at companies like Brinker International and Rutgers University are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara County Office of Education | $35,359 | $17.00 |
| 2 | Compass Group USA | $35,182 | $16.91 |
| 3 | Brinker International | $35,104 | $16.88 |
| 4 | Rutgers University | $34,882 | $16.77 |
| 5 | Homes for the Homeless | $34,221 | $16.45 |
| 6 | The Easter Seal Society of Iowa Inc | $33,993 | $16.34 |
| 7 | City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd) | $33,590 | $16.15 |
| 8 | Brock Group | $33,552 | $16.13 |
| 9 | Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta | $33,509 | $16.11 |
| 10 | Sodexo Management, Inc. | $33,224 | $15.97 |
| 11 | The GEO Group | $33,033 | $15.88 |
| 12 | Worlds of Fun | $32,963 | $15.85 |
| 13 | Girl Scouts Of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois | $32,904 | $15.82 |
| 14 | Consolidated Management | $32,823 | $15.78 |
| 15 | Cedar Fair | $31,915 | $15.34 |
| 16 | Cabela's | $31,895 | $15.33 |
| 17 | Aramark | $31,691 | $15.24 |
| 18 | Bass Pro Shops | $31,680 | $15.23 |
| 19 | YMCA of Metro Wash | $29,775 | $14.31 |
| 20 | Boy Scouts of America | $27,768 | $13.35 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Camp Cook salary by industry
The average camp cook salary varies across industries:
- The average camp cook salary in the education industry is $39,029, the highest of any industry.
- The average camp cook salary in the finance industry is $34,793.
- Camp cooks in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $28,485, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for camp cooks
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $39,029 | $18.76 |
| 2 | Professional | $34,793 | $16.73 |
| 3 | Government | $34,095 | $16.39 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $33,404 | $16.06 |
| 5 | Utilities | $33,018 | $15.87 |
| 6 | Non Profits | $28,485 | $13.69 |
High paying camp cook jobs
Camp cook salary trends
The average camp cook salary has risen by $6,765 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average camp cook earned $25,865 annually, but today, they earn $32,630 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for camp cooks over the last decade.
Compare camp cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average camp cook salary over time
Compare camp cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Camp cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,600 | $15.69 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $31,600 | $15.19 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $30,600 | $14.71 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $29,500 | $14.16 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $28,200 | $13.55 | +3.2% |
Recently added camp cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zuckerberg San Francisco General | Cook-Camp Mather 2025 (Outside of SAN Francisco)-REC & Parks (2654) | Groveland, CA | 06/29/2025 | $77,115 |
| Aramark Corp | Cook-Camp Ramah | Ojai, CA | 06/14/2025 | $41,740 |
| Compass Group, North America | Concessions Cook-Camp Randall Stadium & Kohl Center | Madison, WI | 06/12/2025 | $37,566 |
| Crista Ministries | Cook-Crista Camps | Port Orchard, WA | 06/10/2025 | $39,653 |
| YMCA | Camp Cook | Round Lake, IL | 06/06/2025 | $39,653 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago | Camp Cook | Round Lake, IL | 06/04/2025 | $39,653 |
| YMCA | Camp Cook | Burlington, WI | 05/25/2025 | $29,218 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago | Camp Cook | Burlington, WI | 05/23/2025 | $29,218 |
| Girl Scouts of Colorado | Camp Chef/Cook | Denver, CO | 05/11/2025 | $48,001 |
| Clear Creek Tahoe | Summit Camp Cook | Carson City, NV | 05/07/2025 | $39,653 |
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