National Salary Info » Cooks

Highest Paying Industries for Cooks

The top 100 highest paying industries for cooks (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. 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 in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Cooks

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	$36,980	$24,910	410
6	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$35,270	$22,610	90
7	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Local government owned	$34,240	$24,640	n/a
8	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$33,930	$22,800	30
9	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$33,370	$21,140	80
10	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$33,230	$20,260	40
11	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$32,940	$19,560	460
12	Finance and Insurance	$32,940	$19,530	220
13	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$32,870	$21,210	5,280
14	Chemical Manufacturing	$32,740	$19,610	80
15	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$31,330	$21,400	490
16	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$30,460	$18,350	120
17	Transportation and Warehousing	$30,380	$20,020	2,550
18	Casino Hotels	$30,250	$19,840	15,780
19	Furniture Stores	$30,000	$18,820	150
20	State government, including schools and hospitals	$29,710	$19,790	11,940
21	Water Transportation	$29,640	$19,990	1,310
22	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$29,520	$18,690	n/a
23	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$29,450	$19,110	760
24	Support Activities for Mining	$29,190	$17,510	220
25	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$29,100	$18,920	7,510
26	Air Transportation	$28,860	$21,560	180
27	Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores	$28,790	$18,530	230
28	Scheduled Air Transportation	$28,710	$21,510	180
29	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$28,620	$19,090	3,810
30	Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers	$28,470	$19,400	40
31	Educational Services - State government owned	$28,440	$18,630	4,640
32	Scientific Research and Development Services	$28,330	$20,790	170
33	Rental and Leasing Services	$28,230	$17,860	30
34	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$28,060	$17,330	50
35	Inland Water Transportation	$28,020	$19,420	820
36	Hospitals - State government owned	$27,980	$18,650	2,020
37	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	$27,870	$20,560	70
38	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$27,850	$20,020	2,000
39	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$27,750	$20,010	2,180
40	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$27,680	$19,540	25,820
41	Offices of Physicians	$27,650	$19,810	410
42	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$27,650	$20,360	140
43	Hospitals - Privately owned	$27,580	$19,480	29,220
44	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land	$27,540	$18,190	140
45	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$27,460	$17,840	22,490
46	Federal, State, and Local Government	$27,460	$17,840	22,490
47	Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services	$27,320	$18,320	n/a
48	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$27,290	$20,640	60
49	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$27,280	$20,610	50
50	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$27,100	$19,030	31,620
51	Construction of Buildings	$27,100	$18,520	50
52	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$27,070	$19,000	36,290
53	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$26,980	$18,250	1,080
54	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$26,940	$16,850	90
55	Religious Organizations	$26,710	$18,210	1,720
56	Traveler Accommodation	$26,550	$18,720	77,360
57	Accommodation	$26,460	$18,620	80,520
58	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation	$26,270	$18,220	440
59	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	$26,220	$17,760	70
60	Home Furnishings Stores	$26,180	$18,170	80
61	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	$26,150	$17,660	50
62	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$26,040	$18,960	630
63	Rooming and Boarding Houses	$26,030	$17,690	1,940
64	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$25,790	$18,020	2,500
65	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water	$25,610	$18,200	290
66	Educational Services - Privately owned	$25,530	$17,670	9,720
67	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$25,220	$17,850	450
68	Other Support Services	$25,190	$17,270	210
69	Other Motor Vehicle Dealers	$25,130	$17,020	n/a
70	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$25,110	$17,870	1,390
71	Outpatient Care Centers	$24,900	$17,720	750
72	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$24,880	$17,090	90
73	Mining	$24,840	$17,060	440
74	Facilities Support Services	$24,790	$17,340	1,300
75	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$24,770	$17,640	2,120
76	Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers	$24,680	$18,200	270
77	Personal Care Services	$24,530	$17,920	n/a
78	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$24,490	$18,040	1,650
79	Activities Related to Real Estate	$24,490	$18,510	470
80	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$24,480	$19,900	180
81	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$24,400	$19,820	n/a
82	Technical and trade schools - State government owned	$24,400	$17,140	70
83	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$24,330	$17,730	3,630
84	Special Food Services	$24,310	$17,660	83,270
85	Construction	$24,240	$17,150	220
86	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$24,190	$17,110	14,710
87	Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions	$24,110	$17,800	590
88	Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers	$24,000	$19,570	50
89	Home Health Care Services	$23,970	$17,440	640
90	Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers	$23,920	$17,620	4,320
91	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$23,850	$17,680	37,920
92	Technical and trade schools - Privately owned	$23,850	$17,280	140
93	Other Residential Care Facilities	$23,840	$17,360	2,030
94	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$23,810	$17,310	210
95	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$23,800	$17,490	890
96	Other Personal Services	$23,780	$17,410	190
97	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$23,740	$18,530	40
98	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$23,730	$17,530	5,430
99	Health Care and Social Assistance	$23,700	$17,370	165,480
100	Hospitals - Local government owned	$23,680	$17,470	5,060