The highest-paying states for institution and cafeteria 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 of institution and cafeteria cooks in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $44,050, Alaska is the highest paying state for institution and cafeteria cooks. It is followed by Massachusetts (average annual salary $43,540). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of institution and cafeteria cooks in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $44,050 |
$29,990 | 1,510 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $43,540 |
$35,880 | 7,270 |
| 3 | Washington | $42,770 |
$34,990 | 9,570 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $42,430 |
$31,470 | 850 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $42,290 |
$33,420 | 3,330 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $41,300 |
$36,880 | 1,030 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $40,500 |
$36,200 | 1,330 |
| 8 | California | $40,320 |
$34,360 | 22,960 |
| 9 | New York | $40,200 |
$30,780 | 15,450 |
| 10 | Delaware | $40,110 |
$30,420 | 2,410 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $37,800 |
$30,160 | 7,860 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $37,640 |
$28,570 | 6,040 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $37,440 |
$29,710 | 1,730 |
| 14 | Maryland | $37,370 |
$31,160 | 4,070 |
| 15 | Oregon | $37,070 |
$30,430 | 6,000 |
| 16 | Vermont | $36,660 |
$29,930 | 1,220 |
| 17 | North Dakota | $35,820 |
$29,330 | 2,540 |
| 18 | Maine | $35,700 |
$30,160 | 2,140 |
| 19 | Colorado | $35,580 |
$30,190 | 8,270 |
| 20 | Arizona | $35,190 |
$29,390 | 5,890 |
| 21 | Nevada | $35,120 |
$28,140 | 1,580 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $34,820 |
$27,170 | 9,330 |
| 23 | Virginia | $34,470 |
$24,600 | 9,430 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $34,470 |
$23,590 | 18,060 |
| 25 | Utah | $34,410 |
$27,230 | 4,450 |
| 26 | Montana | $33,660 |
$26,950 | 2,380 |
| 27 | Ohio | $33,300 |
$25,630 | 23,250 |
| 28 | Wyoming | $32,900 |
$22,470 | 1,520 |
| 29 | Michigan | $31,770 |
$24,230 | 10,340 |
| 30 | Illinois | $31,740 |
$26,500 | 20,120 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $31,060 |
$27,090 | 2,100 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $30,830 |
$25,170 | 4,510 |
| 33 | Florida | $30,140 |
$24,940 | 19,030 |
| 34 | Iowa | $30,000 |
$23,890 | 7,940 |
| 35 | Indiana | $29,640 |
$23,510 | 11,550 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $29,620 |
$22,110 | 9,480 |
| 37 | Virgin Islands | $29,570 |
$25,490 | 80 |
| 38 | Idaho | $29,170 |
$22,160 | 3,600 |
| 39 | Georgia | $28,980 |
$22,100 | 6,400 |
| 40 | Texas | $28,740 |
$21,490 | 42,860 |
| 41 | New Mexico | $28,580 |
$24,420 | 3,470 |
| 42 | Kansas | $28,390 |
$22,860 | 6,530 |
| 43 | Missouri | $28,340 |
$23,420 | 15,850 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $28,150 |
$22,090 | 9,770 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $28,070 |
$18,550 | 8,800 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $27,890 |
$22,370 | 11,560 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $27,800 |
$21,770 | 4,130 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $26,910 |
$23,440 | 7,460 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $26,760 |
$19,100 | 4,180 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $25,500 |
$20,270 | 11,960 |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $23,890 |
$18,020 | 7,760 |
| 52 | Alabama | $23,660 |
$18,200 | 7,910 |
| 53 | Guam | $23,580 |
$22,520 | 60 |
| 54 | Mississippi | $23,010 |
$18,060 | 6,780 |