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Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of institution and cafeteria cooks are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of institution and cafeteria cooks within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The institution and cafeteria cooks annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$23,250
25th Percentile Wage
$27,490
50th Percentile Wage
$32,510
75th Percentile Wage
$37,760
90th Percentile Wage
$45,230

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for institution and cafeteria cooks. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) institution and cafeteria cooks is $45,230. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $32,510. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $23,250. Notice that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 94% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

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
$32,510
8.00% 29.68%
2021
$29,910
4.21% -
2020
$28,650
3.14% -
2019
$27,750
3.21% -
2018
$26,860
3.72% -
2017
$25,860
4.29% -
2016
$24,750
3.19% -
2015
$23,960
2.17% -
2014
$23,440
1.15% -
2013
$23,170
1.34% -
2012
$22,860
- -

Table 2. Institution and Cafeteria Cooks Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of institution and cafeteria cooks in 18 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for institution and cafeteria cooks occupations is the mining sector with an annual salary $53,550. The lowest paying sector is the wholesale trade sector (annual salary $27,490).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Mining
$53,550
Information
$52,240
Finance and Insurance
$40,310
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$37,700
Manufacturing
$37,040
Construction
$36,880
Federal, State, and Local Government
$36,020
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$35,500
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$35,060
Accommodation and Food Services
$34,630
Health Care and Social Assistance
$34,040
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$33,800
Transportation and Warehousing
$33,740
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$33,480
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$30,750
Educational Services
$29,700
Retail Trade
$28,730
Wholesale Trade
$27,490

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Institution and Cafeteria Cooks by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only institution and cafeteria cooks salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of institution and cafeteria cooks in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $23,010 to $44,050. The highest paying state for institution and cafeteria cooks is Alaska with a median annual salary of $44,050. The lowest paying state is Mississippi with a median annual salary of $23,010. For more salary information of institution and cafeteria cooks profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Alaska
$44,050
Massachusetts
$43,540
Washington
$42,770
Hawaii
$42,430
Connecticut
$42,290
Rhode Island
$41,300
District of Columbia
$40,500
California
$40,320
New York
$40,200
Delaware
$40,110
Minnesota
$37,800
New Jersey
$37,640
New Hampshire
$37,440
Maryland
$37,370
Oregon
$37,070
Vermont
$36,660
North Dakota
$35,820
Maine
$35,700
Colorado
$35,580
Arizona
$35,190
Nevada
$35,120
Wisconsin
$34,820
Virginia
$34,470
Pennsylvania
$34,470
Utah
$34,410
Montana
$33,660
Ohio
$33,300
Wyoming
$32,900
Michigan
$31,770
Illinois
$31,740
South Dakota
$31,060
Nebraska
$30,830
Florida
$30,140
Iowa
$30,000
Indiana
$29,640
North Carolina
$29,620
Virgin Islands
$29,570
Idaho
$29,170
Georgia
$28,980
Texas
$28,740
New Mexico
$28,580
Kansas
$28,390
Missouri
$28,340
Tennessee
$28,150
South Carolina
$28,070
Kentucky
$27,890
West Virginia
$27,800
Arkansas
$26,910
Louisiana
$26,760
Oklahoma
$25,500
Puerto Rico
$23,890
Alabama
$23,660
Guam
$23,580
Mississippi
$23,010