National Salary Info » Cooks and Food Preparation Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Cooks and Food Preparation Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for cooks and food preparation workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $42,910, rail transportation is the highest paying industry for cooks and food preparation workers. It is followed by federal government, including usps industry (average annual salary $41,370). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of cooks and food preparation workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Cooks and Food Preparation Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Rail Transportation	$42,910	$22,960	150
2	Federal government, including USPS	$41,370	$28,780	n/a
3	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$41,370	$28,780	2,500
4	Support Activities for Water Transportation	$37,140	$25,400	n/a
5	Support Activities for Transportation	$36,840	$24,420	410
6	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$34,950	$22,510	100
7	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$34,160	$22,060	1,200
8	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$33,930	$22,800	30
9	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$33,560	$21,680	480
10	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	$33,460	$22,890	40
11	Utilities	$33,070	$23,650	30
12	Legal Services	$32,380	$25,440	40
13	Casino Hotels	$30,950	$19,730	20,800
14	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$30,430	$19,770	530
15	Support Activities for Mining	$29,540	$17,570	230
16	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$29,500	$18,290	140
17	Hospitals - State government owned	$29,420	$18,560	3,720
18	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$29,400	$18,980	1,090
19	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$29,310	$19,790	7,140
20	Water Transportation	$29,200	$19,590	1,360
21	Chemical Manufacturing	$29,100	$18,080	140
22	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$28,700	$19,760	60
23	Finance and Insurance	$28,620	$18,800	340
24	State government, including schools and hospitals	$28,250	$18,680	n/a
25	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$28,230	$18,510	6,420
26	Rental and Leasing Services	$28,230	$17,860	30
27	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$28,090	$18,010	2,150
28	Insurance Carriers	$28,050	$19,490	170
29	Inland Water Transportation	$28,020	$19,420	820
30	Scientific Research and Development Services	$27,910	$20,370	210
31	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$27,550	$18,270	50
32	Transportation and Warehousing	$27,540	$18,540	3,270
33	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$27,520	$19,030	3,340
34	Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers	$27,450	$19,110	n/a
35	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$27,310	$20,050	180
36	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$27,260	$18,310	12,590
37	Educational Services - State government owned	$27,100	$18,070	7,730
38	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$26,980	$20,120	n/a
39	Construction of Buildings	$26,950	$18,580	50
40	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$26,940	$16,850	90
41	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$26,770	$18,520	180
42	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$26,690	$18,680	2,850
43	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$26,640	$20,310	80
44	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$26,620	$20,290	80
45	Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services	$26,600	$18,390	160
46	Furniture Stores	$26,570	$18,930	290
47	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$26,160	$17,810	4,170
48	Air Transportation	$26,150	$17,860	n/a
49	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$26,040	$18,270	43,410
50	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land	$26,040	$18,090	210
51	Scheduled Air Transportation	$26,030	$17,830	n/a
52	Hospitals - Privately owned	$26,010	$18,260	48,250
53	Traveler Accommodation	$25,970	$18,240	93,220
54	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	$25,920	$17,970	150
55	Accommodation	$25,830	$18,150	97,260
56	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$25,780	$16,920	50
57	Offices of Physicians	$25,670	$19,200	660
58	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$25,580	$17,990	60,500
59	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$25,420	$18,180	800
60	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$25,410	$17,970	52,990
61	Educational Services - Privately owned	$25,120	$17,720	14,930
62	Mining	$25,050	$17,090	450
63	Department Stores	$25,010	$18,410	1,180
64	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$24,750	$17,310	32,990
65	Federal, State, and Local Government	$24,750	$17,310	32,990
66	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation	$24,750	$18,290	620
67	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$24,530	$16,890	110
68	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$24,430	$17,650	1,990
69	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$24,410	$17,590	190
70	Rooming and Boarding Houses	$24,340	$17,440	2,360
71	Television Broadcasting	$24,260	$17,430	310
72	Radio and Television Broadcasting	$24,260	$17,430	310
73	Broadcasting (except Internet)	$24,260	$17,430	310
74	Home Health Care Services	$24,190	$17,470	880
75	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water	$24,150	$18,410	410
76	Construction	$24,130	$17,030	240
77	Technical and trade schools - Privately owned	$24,010	$17,410	280
78	Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores	$24,000	$17,630	670
79	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$23,890	$17,620	3,030
80	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$23,820	$18,270	70
81	Religious Organizations	$23,780	$17,640	2,790
82	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$23,780	$17,600	4,350
83	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$23,740	$18,530	40
84	Office Administrative Services	$23,740	$17,160	n/a
85	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$23,720	$17,060	520
86	Outpatient Care Centers	$23,600	$17,550	1,060
87	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities	$23,600	$17,920	n/a
88	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$23,560	$17,800	2,770
89	Other Support Services	$23,480	$17,010	250
90	Facilities Support Services	$23,480	$17,460	2,050
91	General Merchandise Stores	$23,440	$17,500	7,030
92	Gambling Industries	$23,410	$17,590	14,540
93	Technical and Trade Schools	$23,410	$17,120	440
94	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$23,350	$17,450	650
95	Other Schools and Instruction	$23,340	$16,950	530
96	Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	$23,310	$17,360	5,830
97	Depository Credit Intermediation	$23,250	$17,870	n/a
98	Other Residential Care Facilities	$23,240	$17,260	2,350
99	Other schools and instruction - Privately owned	$23,240	$16,930	530
100	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$23,240	$17,320	7,520