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Cook/team member salary
Average cook/team member salary
$11.86
Average Cook/Team Member Salary
The average salary for a Cook/Team Member is estimated at $24,668 per year, or roughly $12 per hour. This figure is influenced by various factors, including experience, geographic location, and the specific culinary establishment. For instance, entry-level positions may offer lower wages, while seasoned professionals in upscale restaurants often earn more.
How Much Does a Cook/Team Member Make?
In addition to base salaries, Cook/Team Members may earn tips, bonuses, or overtime pay, which can enhance overall earnings. Understanding these components is crucial for evaluating job offers.
Where Can a Cook/Team Member Earn More?
Salary potential varies significantly by state. For example, states with a higher cost of living, such as California and New York, typically offer better pay. Major cities also tend to provide higher wages due to increased demand for culinary talent.
Average Cook/Team Member Salary by State
To find the best opportunities, consider researching salary data by state, which helps identify where Cook/Team Members can earn the most.
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Where can a Cook/Team Member earn more?
Average cook/team member salary by state
The highest-paying states for cook/team members are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. The lowest average cook/team member salary states are Kansas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for cook/team members
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | $28,468 | $13.69 |
| 2 | West Virginia | $27,080 | $13.02 |
| 3 | Illinois | $26,805 | $12.89 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $28,522 | $13.71 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $34,147 | $16.42 |
| 6 | Maine | $31,855 | $15.31 |
| 7 | New York | $29,994 | $14.42 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $32,587 | $15.67 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $29,567 | $14.21 |
| 10 | Washington | $29,195 | $14.04 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $28,488 | $13.70 |
| 12 | Vermont | $28,198 | $13.56 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $23,492 | $11.29 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $25,985 | $12.49 |
| 15 | Delaware | $26,558 | $12.77 |
| 16 | Tennessee | $23,308 | $11.21 |
| 17 | Ohio | $23,387 | $11.24 |
| 18 | California | $28,331 | $13.62 |
| 19 | Arizona | $24,561 | $11.81 |
| 20 | Colorado | $24,871 | $11.96 |
| 21 | Missouri | $24,775 | $11.91 |
| 22 | Idaho | $24,688 | $11.87 |
| 23 | Arkansas | $22,920 | $11.02 |
| 24 | Oregon | $27,224 | $13.09 |
| 25 | Alabama | $22,537 | $10.84 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $22,815 | $10.97 |
| 27 | Utah | $24,018 | $11.55 |
| 28 | Texas | $22,762 | $10.94 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $24,169 | $11.62 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $23,376 | $11.24 |
| 31 | Florida | $22,576 | $10.85 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $23,748 | $11.42 |
| 33 | Maryland | $25,476 | $12.25 |
| 34 | Montana | $23,186 | $11.15 |
| 35 | Nevada | $23,154 | $11.13 |
| 36 | District of Columbia | $27,220 | $13.09 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $21,969 | $10.56 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $22,430 | $10.78 |
| 39 | Alaska | $23,782 | $11.43 |
| 40 | Virginia | $23,455 | $11.28 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $22,290 | $10.72 |
| 42 | Indiana | $20,785 | $9.99 |
| 43 | Iowa | $21,794 | $10.48 |
| 44 | Kansas | $21,561 | $10.37 |
| 45 | Georgia | $21,795 | $10.48 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $21,492 | $10.33 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $23,114 | $11.11 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $21,050 | $10.12 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $22,152 | $10.65 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $20,568 | $9.89 |
| 51 | Nebraska | $21,000 | $10.10 |
Highest paying cities for cook/team members
The highest-paying cities for cook/team members are Concord, NH, Portland, ME, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concord, NH | $34,314 | $16.50 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $31,889 | $15.33 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $29,875 | $14.36 |
| 4 | Concord, CA | $29,040 | $13.96 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $27,211 | $13.08 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $26,826 | $12.90 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $25,945 | $12.47 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $24,886 | $11.96 |
| 9 | Phoenix, AZ | $24,593 | $11.82 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City, UT | $24,050 | $11.56 |
| 11 | Virginia Beach, VA | $23,342 | $11.22 |
| 12 | Knoxville, TN | $23,338 | $11.22 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $23,126 | $11.12 |
| 14 | Las Vegas, NV | $23,010 | $11.06 |
| 15 | Fort Worth, TX | $22,755 | $10.94 |
| 16 | Gainesville, FL | $22,631 | $10.88 |
| 17 | Rock Hill, SC | $22,365 | $10.75 |
| 18 | Lancaster, PA | $22,152 | $10.65 |
| 19 | Gainesville, GA | $21,822 | $10.49 |
| 20 | Greenville, NC | $21,618 | $10.39 |
Cook/Team Members are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Cook/team member salary details
A cook/team member's salary ranges from $18,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $33,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a cook/team member's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| Average | $24,668 | $2,056 | $12 |
| 25th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
| 10th Percentile | $18,000 | $1,500 | $9 |
Highest paying cook/team member jobs
The highest paying types of cook/team members are line cook, lead crew member, and grill cook/prep.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexican Food Cook | $31,039 | $2,587 | $14.92 | 275,588 |
| Short Order Cook | $30,734 | $2,561 | $14.78 | 176,187 |
| Food Service/Cashier | $28,481 | $2,373 | $13.69 | 247,779 |
| Kitchen Cook | $31,452 | $2,621 | $15.12 | 250,354 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
| Prep Cook | $32,292 | $2,691 | $15.53 | 168,265 |
Top companies hiring cook/team members now:
Which companies pay cook/team members the most?
Cook/team member salaries at Deloitte and Peet's Coffee are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average cook/team member salary at companies like KPMG and On The Border are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deloitte | $56,921 | $27.37 |
| 2 | Peet's Coffee | $38,160 | $18.35 |
| 3 | KPMG LLP | $38,063 | $18.30 |
| 4 | On The Border | $37,016 | $17.80 |
| 5 | Zoës Kitchen | $35,696 | $17.16 |
| 6 | 24 Carrots Catering and Events | $35,415 | $17.03 |
| 7 | Amy's Kitchen | $34,673 | $16.67 |
| 8 | Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurants | $34,456 | $16.57 |
| 9 | Tractor Supply | $33,441 | $16.08 |
| 10 | Resorts World Catskills | $33,390 | $16.05 |
| 11 | Wells Fargo | $33,356 | $16.04 |
| 12 | General Motors | $32,942 | $15.84 |
| 13 | Amazon | $32,933 | $15.83 |
| 14 | NEXT High School | $32,676 | $15.71 |
| 15 | Weyerhaeuser International, Inc | $32,143 | $15.45 |
| 16 | Sycuan Casino Resort | $32,091 | $15.43 |
| 17 | Raytheon Technologies | $32,073 | $15.42 |
| 18 | Compass Group USA | $31,562 | $15.17 |
| 19 | Great Wolf Resorts | $31,331 | $15.06 |
| 20 | TPC Group | $31,201 | $15.00 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Cook/team member salary trends
The average cook/team member salary has risen by $5,574 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average cook/team member earned $19,094 annually, but today, they earn $24,668 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for cook/team members over the last decade.
Compare cook/team member salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average cook/team member salary over time
Compare cook/team member salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Cook/team member salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,700 | $11.86 | +4.7% |
| 2025 | $23,500 | $11.31 | +5.4% |
| 2024 | $22,300 | $10.70 | +5.0% |
| 2023 | $21,100 | $10.16 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $20,400 | $9.79 | +2.7% |
Recently added cook/team member salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| and Go Concepts | Restaurant Team Member 59Th AVE & Union Hills | Glendale, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $31,305 |
| Maverik | Retail Team Member-Maverik | Orem, UT | 06/28/2025 | $28,175 |
| Maverik | Retail Team Member Seasonal-Maverik | Rapid City, SD | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Snoqualmie Casino | Line Cook-Team Member Dining | Snoqualmie, WA | 06/28/2025 | $45,726 |
| Life Time Fitness | Women's Facility Operations Team Member | Bellevue, WA | 06/28/2025 | $38,610 |
| Crossamerica Partners LP | Team Members | New Cumberland, PA | 06/27/2025 | $27,131 |
| McAlister's Deli | Team Member | Derby, KS | 06/27/2025 | $18,783 |
| Bagel Brands | Team Member | Nevada | 06/26/2025 | $22,957 |
| Goodwill Industries of Southeast Wisconsin, Inc. | Team Member | Glenview, IL | 06/26/2025 | $31,305 |
| Michaels Stores | Retail Team Member | Ramsey, MN | 06/25/2025 | $32,328 |
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