Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Salary Information in Iowa

The average annual salaries for institution and cafeteria cooks in the state of Iowa are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of institution and cafeteria cooks among Iowa metropolitan areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Institution and Cafeteria Cooks in Iowa (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$23,890
25th Percentile Wage
$27,840
50th Percentile Wage
$30,000
75th Percentile Wage
$34,940
90th Percentile Wage
$37,670

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for institution and cafeteria cooks in Iowa in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $37,670. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $30,000. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $23,890.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of institution and cafeteria cooks from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$30,000
1.60% 26.30%
2021
$29,520
4.10% -
2020
$28,310
3.85% -
2019
$27,220
1.43% -
2018
$26,830
4.58% -
2017
$25,600
5.35% -
2016
$24,230
4.50% -
2015
$23,140
1.73% -
2014
$22,740
1.19% -
2013
$22,470
1.60% -
2012
$22,110
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Institution and Cafeteria Cooks in Iowa Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of institution and cafeteria cooks in some Iowa cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of institution and cafeteria cooks in state of Iowa ranges from $28,820 to $33,250. The highest paying area for institution and cafeteria cooks in Iowa is Des Moines-West Des Moines with a median annual salary of $33,250. The second highest paying city/area in Iowa State is Ames (mean annual salary $33,080). The lowest paying area is Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $28,820.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
Des Moines-West Des Moines
$33,250
Ames
$33,080
Iowa City
$32,250
Dubuque
$32,050
Waterloo-Cedar Falls
$31,920
Cedar Rapids
$31,430
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
$29,550
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$29,230
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$29,090
Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$29,060
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area
$28,820