Cooks, All Other salarymedian $37,690 · percentiles · top pay · projected pay in 10 years

United States Food Service Confidence ★★★★★

Median annual pay

$37,690

25th–75th pct. $32,150–$43,680

Top pay (est.)

$66,500

Top 10% $51,140

Pay in 5 years

$44,200est.

2031

Pay in 10 years

$51,900est.

$44,600–$60,200

Outlook score

63/100

★★★☆☆ Average

AI replacement risk

25%

Low

Job growth (10 yr)

+5.2%

2,800 openings / yr

Cooks, All Other salary

The median annual wage for cooks, all other is $37,690 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $27,040 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $51,140. The mean annual wage is $39,150.

Median

$37,690

Mean

$39,150

10th percentile

$27,040

Entry level

25th percentile

$32,150

75th percentile

$43,680

90th percentile

$51,140

Top earners

Mean hourly wage

$18.00

2.5× the federal minimum ($7.25)

In Japanese yen

¥5.93M

≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

The mean hourly wage of $18.00 is 2.5× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)

$27,040

Early career (25th pct.)

$32,150

Mid career (median)

$37,690

Experienced (75th pct.)

$43,680

Top earners (90th pct.)

$51,140

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Cooks, All Other (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $37,690 → in 3 years $41,500 → in 5 years $44,200 → in 10 years $51,900 (10-year range $44,600–$60,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.

$37,690

Now
2026

$41,500

In 3 yrs
2029

$38,300–$45,100

$44,200

In 5 yrs
2031

$39,800–$49,300

$51,900

In 10 yrs
2036

$44,600–$60,200

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand +0.06%AI impact +0.19%Total +3.2% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Related occupations

	Occupation	Pay	Outlook	AI risk
1	Fast Food and Counter Workers Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages.	$31,200	57/100	30%
2	Waiters and Waitresses Take orders and serve food and beverages to patrons at tables in dining establishment.	$35,230	50/100	18%
3	Cooks, Restaurant Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants.	$37,390	65/100	19%
4	First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in preparing and serving food.	$44,080	60/100	30%
5	Food Preparation Workers Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.	$35,320	42/100	30%
6	Bartenders Mix and serve drinks to patrons, directly or through waitstaff.	$34,340	58/100	20%

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data

Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.