Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a school cafeteria cook
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become a school cafeteria cook at SAGE Dining Services, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for school cafeteria cooks that you can check out, before you begin your journey. This way, if you are newly entering the job market, or you are looking to change jobs, you know which places are the best for school cafeteria cook jobs.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for school cafeteria cooks. Alaska is the best state for school cafeteria cooks, where the median salary is $51,521.Alaska is the best state, and Anchorage is the city with the highest pay for school cafeteria cooks.
10 best states for school cafeteria cooks in 2026
1. Alaska
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 155 Average annual salary: $51,521 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
2. Utah
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 523 Average annual salary: $45,224 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
3. Idaho
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 307 Average annual salary: $40,974 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
4. Connecticut
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 662 Average annual salary: $40,235 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
5. Mississippi
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 438 Average annual salary: $37,670 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 1.43
6. Pennsylvania
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 2,215 Average annual salary: $36,239 Lowest 10 percent earn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
7. Washington
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 919 Average annual salary: $43,515 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
8. North Dakota
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 125 Average annual salary: $42,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
9. New Jersey
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 1,263 Average annual salary: $40,900 Lowest 10 percent earn: $26,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. Maryland
Total school cafeteria cook jobs: 1,039 Average annual salary: $40,682 Lowest 10 percent earn: $27,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
School cafeteria cook jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a school cafeteria cook
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a school cafeteria cook
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $51,521 | $34,000 | 739,795 | 155 |
| 2 | Utah | $45,224 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 523 |
| 3 | Idaho | $40,974 | $27,000 | 1,716,943 | 307 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $40,235 | $26,000 | 3,588,184 | 662 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $37,670 | $26,000 | 2,984,100 | 438 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $36,239 | $24,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,215 |
| 7 | Washington | $43,515 | $28,000 | 7,405,743 | 919 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $42,036 | $30,000 | 755,393 | 125 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $40,900 | $26,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,263 |
| 10 | Maryland | $40,682 | $27,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,039 |
| 11 | Maine | $39,480 | $28,000 | 1,335,907 | 194 |
| 12 | California | $42,245 | $27,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,363 |
| 13 | Oregon | $38,862 | $25,000 | 4,142,776 | 694 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $36,794 | $25,000 | 1,342,795 | 271 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $40,881 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,085 |
| 16 | Nevada | $40,282 | $26,000 | 2,998,039 | 245 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $37,632 | $24,000 | 1,059,639 | 180 |
| 18 | New York | $38,861 | $25,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,989 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $39,856 | $28,000 | 1,920,076 | 198 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $32,860 | $23,000 | 579,315 | 98 |
| 21 | Montana | $32,045 | $22,000 | 1,050,493 | 256 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $31,864 | $22,000 | 1,815,857 | 266 |
| 23 | Delaware | $36,076 | $23,000 | 961,939 | 176 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $33,199 | $23,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,161 |
| 25 | Michigan | $33,680 | $23,000 | 9,962,311 | 989 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $38,980 | $30,000 | 1,427,538 | 105 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $30,210 | $21,000 | 3,930,864 | 674 |
| 28 | Vermont | $34,168 | $24,000 | 623,657 | 87 |
| 29 | Arizona | $32,274 | $22,000 | 7,016,270 | 843 |
| 30 | Virginia | $33,196 | $22,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,386 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $30,828 | $21,000 | 5,795,483 | 830 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $29,811 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 897 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $28,452 | $19,000 | 2,088,070 | 424 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $30,404 | $21,000 | 4,454,189 | 515 |
| 35 | Iowa | $28,624 | $20,000 | 3,145,711 | 642 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $30,888 | $22,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,137 |
| 37 | Colorado | $31,861 | $22,000 | 5,607,154 | 740 |
| 38 | Ohio | $30,710 | $21,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,096 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $30,717 | $21,000 | 869,666 | 116 |
| 40 | Indiana | $29,750 | $21,000 | 6,666,818 | 912 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $34,645 | $23,000 | 693,972 | 117 |
| 42 | Kansas | $26,599 | $19,000 | 2,913,123 | 549 |
| 43 | Missouri | $27,080 | $19,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,055 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,855 | $21,000 | 4,874,747 | 445 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $24,975 | $17,000 | 3,004,279 | 498 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $23,873 | $16,000 | 4,684,333 | 580 |
| 47 | Georgia | $29,218 | $21,000 | 10,429,379 | 866 |
| 48 | Illinois | $27,601 | $19,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,645 |
| 49 | Texas | $26,545 | $18,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,866 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $27,671 | $19,000 | 5,024,369 | 546 |
| 51 | Florida | $24,063 | $16,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,758 |
Highest paying states for school cafeteria cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. School Cafeteria Cook Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $51,521 |
| 2 | Utah | $45,224 |
| 3 | Idaho | $40,974 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $40,235 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $37,670 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $36,239 |
| 7 | Washington | $43,515 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $42,036 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $40,900 |
| 10 | Maryland | $40,682 |
| 11 | Maine | $39,480 |
| 12 | California | $42,245 |
| 13 | Oregon | $38,862 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $36,794 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $40,881 |
| 16 | Nevada | $40,282 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $37,632 |
| 18 | New York | $38,861 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $39,856 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $32,860 |
| 21 | Montana | $32,045 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $31,864 |
| 23 | Delaware | $36,076 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $33,199 |
| 25 | Michigan | $33,680 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $38,980 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $30,210 |
| 28 | Vermont | $34,168 |
| 29 | Arizona | $32,274 |
| 30 | Virginia | $33,196 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $30,828 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $29,811 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $28,452 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $30,404 |
| 35 | Iowa | $28,624 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $30,888 |
| 37 | Colorado | $31,861 |
| 38 | Ohio | $30,710 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $30,717 |
| 40 | Indiana | $29,750 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $34,645 |
| 42 | Kansas | $26,599 |
| 43 | Missouri | $27,080 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,855 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $24,975 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $23,873 |
| 47 | Georgia | $29,218 |
| 48 | Illinois | $27,601 |
| 49 | Texas | $26,545 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $27,671 |
| 51 | Florida | $24,063 |
School cafeteria cook best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common food preparation and restaurant questions.
Search for school cafeteria cook jobs
Updated January 8, 2025