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Grill cook/prep salary
Average grill cook/prep salary
$15.79
$32,842 yearly
Entry-level grill cook/prep salary
$26,000 yearly salaryUpdated December 15, 2025
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Grill cook/prep salary by:Â
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Average grill cook/prep salary by state
Highest paying states for grill cook/preps
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $37,041 | $17.81 |
| 2 | Illinois | $37,515 | $18.04 |
| 3 | Washington | $48,076 | $23.11 |
| 4 | Oregon | $41,606 | $20.00 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $40,953 | $19.69 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $42,049 | $20.22 |
| 7 | Colorado | $36,163 | $17.39 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $35,881 | $17.25 |
| 9 | Nevada | $34,147 | $16.42 |
| 10 | Ohio | $33,677 | $16.19 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $34,564 | $16.62 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $39,277 | $18.88 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $35,500 | $17.07 |
| 14 | Idaho | $35,711 | $17.17 |
| 15 | Alaska | $36,895 | $17.74 |
| 16 | California | $38,504 | $18.51 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $40,413 | $19.43 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $35,063 | $16.86 |
| 19 | Indiana | $31,146 | $14.97 |
| 20 | Utah | $33,093 | $15.91 |
| 21 | New York | $36,009 | $17.31 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $33,768 | $16.23 |
| 23 | Maine | $34,229 | $16.46 |
| 24 | Vermont | $35,463 | $17.05 |
| 25 | Missouri | $32,236 | $15.50 |
| 26 | Texas | $30,408 | $14.62 |
| 27 | District of Columbia | $37,976 | $18.26 |
| 28 | Kansas | $31,577 | $15.18 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $30,995 | $14.90 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $33,184 | $15.95 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $31,362 | $15.08 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $28,137 | $13.53 |
| 33 | Michigan | $29,147 | $14.01 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $27,434 | $13.19 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $29,049 | $13.97 |
| 36 | Iowa | $29,727 | $14.29 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $32,324 | $15.54 |
| 38 | Montana | $30,052 | $14.45 |
| 39 | Delaware | $32,275 | $15.52 |
| 40 | Florida | $26,934 | $12.95 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $24,960 | $12.00 |
| 42 | Maryland | $30,985 | $14.90 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $25,903 | $12.45 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $25,905 | $12.45 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $26,633 | $12.80 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $24,688 | $11.87 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $24,688 | $11.87 |
| 48 | Alabama | $25,010 | $12.02 |
| 49 | Georgia | $25,088 | $12.06 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $23,118 | $11.11 |
| 51 | Virginia | $26,839 | $12.90 |
Grill cook/prep salary details
A grill cook/prep's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $40,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a grill cook/prep's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| 75th Percentile | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17 |
| Average | $32,842 | $2,737 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying grill cook/prep jobs
The highest paying types of grill cook/preps are head cook, lead cook, and line cook/dishwasher.
| 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 |
| Cook/Dishwasher | $31,703 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 133,000 |
| Head Cook | $44,412 | $3,701 | $21.35 | 156,227 |
| Lead Cook | $35,964 | $2,997 | $17.29 | 160,223 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
Top companies hiring grill cook/preps now:
Wage gap by gender, race and education
$34,000$33,600$33,200$32,800$32,400$32,000
MaleFemale
Grill cook/prep salary trends
The average grill cook/prep salary has risen by $7,663 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average grill cook/prep earned $25,179 annually, but today, they earn $32,842 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for grill cook/preps over the last decade.
Compare grill cook/prep salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average grill cook/prep salary over time
Compare grill cook/prep salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Grill cook/prep salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $32,800 | $15.79 | +3.5% |
| 2025 | $31,700 | $15.24 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $30,300 | $14.54 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $28,700 | $13.80 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $27,500 | $13.23 | +4.3% |
Recently added grill cook/prep salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Victoria Investments | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero | Los Angeles, CA | 06/22/2025 | $41,740 |
| Santa Jamboree Investments | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero Back of The House | Irvine, CA | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| Santa LBX | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero Back of The House | Long Beach, CA | 06/20/2025 | $41,740 |
| Saint Real | Panini Kabob Grill-Cook Cocinero Prep Back of The House | San Diego, CA | 06/19/2025 | $41,740 |
| Santa Brassy | Panini Kabob Grill-Cook Cocinero Prep Back of The House | Carlsbad, CA | 06/19/2025 | $41,740 |
| Santa Galleria | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero Back of The House | Riverside, CA | 06/19/2025 | $41,740 |
| Santa Eastvale | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero Back of The House | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 06/19/2025 | $41,740 |
| Compass Group, North America | Concession Stand Grill/Prep Cook | Pawtucket, RI | 06/12/2025 | $33,392 |
| Santa Cerritos | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero Back of The House | Cerritos, CA | 06/04/2025 | $41,740 |
| Mah | Panini Kabob Grill-Line Cook|Prep-Cocinero | Burbank, CA | 06/01/2025 | $41,740 |
Grill cook/prep salary FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.
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Updated December 15, 2025