The average annual salaries for restaurant cooks in the state of Kentucky are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of restaurant cooks among Kentucky 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].
| Percentile bracket | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $21,490 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $22,830 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $28,280 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $33,720 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $36,260 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for restaurant cooks in Kentucky in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $36,260. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $28,280. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $21,490.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of restaurant cooks from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $28,280 | 1.31% | 32.99% |
| 2021 | $27,910 | 13.40% | - |
| 2020 | $24,170 | 5.01% | - |
| 2019 | $22,960 | 6.05% | - |
| 2018 | $21,570 | 2.83% | - |
| 2017 | $20,960 | 5.68% | - |
| 2016 | $19,770 | 2.07% | - |
| 2015 | $19,360 | 1.39% | - |
| 2014 | $19,090 | 1.05% | - |
| 2013 | $18,890 | -0.32% | - |
| 2012 | $18,950 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of restaurant cooks in some Kentucky cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of restaurant cooks in state of Kentucky ranges from $23,660 to $29,690. The highest paying area for restaurant cooks in Kentucky is Lexington-Fayette with a median annual salary of $29,690. The second highest paying city/area in Kentucky State is Louisville-Jefferson County (mean annual salary $29,020). The lowest paying area is South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $23,660.