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School cafeteria cook salary
Average school cafeteria cook salary
$16.04
Average School Cafeteria Cook Salary
The average salary for a School Cafeteria Cook in the United States is approximately $33,367 per year or $16.04 per hour. Salaries can fluctuate based on factors such as experience, geographic location, and specific school district budgets. For example, entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced cooks in urban areas might earn significantly more.
Where Can You Earn More?
States like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to their cost of living and demand for skilled workers. Additionally, major cities often provide competitive pay, making urban environments attractive for job seekers.
Salary by Experience Level
As with many careers, school cafeteria cooks can expect their earnings to increase with experience. Entry-level cooks may earn closer to the minimum wage, while those with several years of experience can see salaries rise to approximately $40,000 annually or more.
Job Opportunities
Various roles within school districts, including lead cooks and menu planners, can also enhance earning potential. Explore job listings in your area to find opportunities that suit your skills and interests.
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Where can a School Cafeteria Cook earn more?
School cafeteria cook salaries by experience level
Average school cafeteria cook salary by state
The average school cafeteria cook salary in Alaska, Utah, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average school cafeteria cook salary states are Missouri, Kansas, and Texas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for school cafeteria cooks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $51,521 | $24.77 |
| 2 | Utah | $45,224 | $21.74 |
| 3 | Idaho | $40,974 | $19.70 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $40,235 | $19.34 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $37,670 | $18.11 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $36,239 | $17.42 |
| 7 | Washington | $43,515 | $20.92 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $42,036 | $20.21 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $40,900 | $19.66 |
| 10 | Maryland | $40,682 | $19.56 |
| 11 | Maine | $39,480 | $18.98 |
| 12 | California | $42,245 | $20.31 |
| 13 | Oregon | $38,862 | $18.68 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $36,794 | $17.69 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $40,881 | $19.65 |
| 16 | Nevada | $40,282 | $19.37 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $37,632 | $18.09 |
| 18 | New York | $38,861 | $18.68 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $39,856 | $19.16 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $32,860 | $15.80 |
| 21 | Montana | $32,045 | $15.41 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $31,864 | $15.32 |
| 23 | Delaware | $36,076 | $17.34 |
| 24 | Minnesota | $33,199 | $15.96 |
| 25 | Michigan | $33,680 | $16.19 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $38,980 | $18.74 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $30,210 | $14.52 |
| 28 | Vermont | $34,168 | $16.43 |
| 29 | Arizona | $32,274 | $15.52 |
| 30 | Virginia | $33,196 | $15.96 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $30,828 | $14.82 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $29,811 | $14.33 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $28,452 | $13.68 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $30,404 | $14.62 |
| 35 | Iowa | $28,624 | $13.76 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $30,888 | $14.85 |
| 37 | Colorado | $31,861 | $15.32 |
| 38 | Ohio | $30,710 | $14.76 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $30,717 | $14.77 |
| 40 | Indiana | $29,750 | $14.30 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $34,645 | $16.66 |
| 42 | Kansas | $26,599 | $12.79 |
| 43 | Missouri | $27,080 | $13.02 |
| 44 | Alabama | $29,855 | $14.35 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $24,975 | $12.01 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $23,873 | $11.48 |
| 47 | Georgia | $29,218 | $14.05 |
| 48 | Illinois | $27,601 | $13.27 |
| 49 | Texas | $26,545 | $12.76 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $27,671 | $13.30 |
| 51 | Florida | $24,063 | $11.57 |
Highest paying cities for school cafeteria cooks
The highest-paying cities for school cafeteria cooks are Palo Alto, CA, Redmond, WA, and Worcester, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $44,408 | $21.35 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $43,792 | $21.05 |
| 3 | Worcester, MA | $41,062 | $19.74 |
| 4 | Owings Mills, MD | $40,909 | $19.67 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $38,827 | $18.67 |
| 6 | Ashburn, VA | $34,565 | $16.62 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $33,203 | $15.96 |
| 8 | Chandler, AZ | $32,216 | $15.49 |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $31,813 | $15.29 |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | $31,095 | $14.95 |
| 11 | Gahanna, OH | $30,293 | $14.56 |
| 12 | Chattanooga, TN | $29,621 | $14.24 |
| 13 | Alpharetta, GA | $29,421 | $14.14 |
| 14 | Albuquerque, NM | $28,525 | $13.71 |
| 15 | San Antonio, TX | $27,275 | $13.11 |
| 16 | Kansas City, MO | $27,180 | $13.07 |
| 17 | Wichita, KS | $26,482 | $12.73 |
| 18 | Navarre, FL | $24,690 | $11.87 |
School cafeteria cook salary details
A school cafeteria cook's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $47,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a school cafeteria cook's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $40,000 | $3,333 | $19 |
| Average | $33,367 | $2,781 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $23,000 | $1,917 | $11 |
Highest paying school cafeteria cook jobs
The highest paying types of school cafeteria cooks are cook chill technician, mess cook, and assistant cook.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook/Dietary Aide | $27,490 | $2,291 | $13.22 | 163,273 |
| Cook | $31,803 | $2,650 | $15.29 | 184,818 |
| Fry Cook | $30,622 | $2,552 | $14.72 | 246,323 |
| Dietary Cook | $27,365 | $2,280 | $13.16 | 191,406 |
Top companies hiring school cafeteria cooks now:
Which companies pay school cafeteria cooks the most?
School cafeteria cook salaries at Legacy Traditional Schools and The Nutrition Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average school cafeteria cook salary at companies like Yuba City Unified School District and SLA Management are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legacy Traditional Schools | $37,041 | $17.81 |
| 2 | The Nutrition Group | $34,664 | $16.67 |
| 3 | Yuba City Unified School District | $34,447 | $16.56 |
| 4 | SLA Management | $34,352 | $16.52 |
| 5 | Marian High School | $34,124 | $16.41 |
| 6 | NexDine | $34,021 | $16.36 |
| 7 | SAGE Dining Services | $33,813 | $16.26 |
| 8 | Gateway Unified School District | $33,702 | $16.20 |
| 9 | New Horizons Village | $33,556 | $16.13 |
| 10 | Pacifica School District | $33,462 | $16.09 |
| 11 | Personal Touch Inc | $33,437 | $16.08 |
| 12 | Msd International Gmbh | $33,437 | $16.08 |
| 13 | Brock Group | $33,400 | $16.06 |
| 14 | Taher, Inc. Professional Food Service Management | $33,307 | $16.01 |
| 15 | Whitsons Culinary Group | $33,258 | $15.99 |
| 16 | Multnomah Education Service District | $33,135 | $15.93 |
| 17 | NANA | $33,077 | $15.90 |
| 18 | MMI Hotel Group | $32,892 | $15.81 |
| 19 | Nana Management Services, LLC | $32,892 | $15.81 |
| 20 | MyPath Careers | $32,802 | $15.77 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
School Cafeteria Cook salary by industry
The average school cafeteria cook salary varies across industries:
- The average school cafeteria cook salary in the hospitality industry is $33,836, the highest of any industry.
- The average school cafeteria cook salary in the finance industry is $33,268.
- School cafeteria cooks in the health care industry earn an average salary of $32,788, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for school cafeteria cooks
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $33,836 | $16.27 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $33,268 | $15.99 |
| 3 | Education | $33,109 | $15.92 |
| 4 | Health Care | $32,788 | $15.76 |
High paying school cafeteria cook jobs
School cafeteria cook salary trends
The average school cafeteria cook salary has risen by $6,918 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average school cafeteria cook earned $26,449 annually, but today, they earn $33,367 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for school cafeteria cooks over the last decade.
Compare school cafeteria cook salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average school cafeteria cook salary over time
Compare school cafeteria cook salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
School cafeteria cook salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,400 | $16.04 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $32,300 | $15.54 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | $31,300 | $15.04 | +3.7% |
| 2022 | $30,100 | $14.48 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $28,800 | $13.86 | +3.2% |
Recently added school cafeteria cook salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Department of Education | School Cook | Wauseon, OH | 06/30/2025 | $33,246 |
| Aramark | Cook-DC Public Schools-Cluster 7 | Washington, DC | 06/27/2025 | $38,610 |
| Gateway Unified School District | Cook Hrs/Day)-Rocky Point Charter School #1144 | Redding, CA | 06/26/2025 | $39,987 |
| Easter Seals New Hampshire | RES Lancaster School and Residence Cook I | Lancaster, NH | 06/24/2025 | $41,740 |
| Primrose School | School Cook | San Jose, CA | 06/22/2025 | $41,740 |
| Aramark Corp | Cook-Taylorville Schools | Taylorville, IL | 06/21/2025 | $35,479 |
| Aramark Corp | Cook-RYE City School District | Rye, NY | 06/21/2025 | $36,523 |
| Roaring Fork School District | School Cook | Boone, CO | 06/21/2025 | $47,584 |
| Roseville Community Schools | Cook-Eastland Middle School- | Roseville, MI | 06/21/2025 | $31,347 |
| Broward County Public Schools | Food Service Cook IIA Job Details | Broward County Public Schools | Hollywood, FL | 06/16/2025 | $35,959 |
School cafeteria cook salary FAQs
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