Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages State pay map SOC 35-2019

Cooks, All Other

State pay geography leads here: Massachusetts, Nevada, New York top the published medians for Cooks, All Other, unlike peer First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers.

Same-major-group titles next to Cooks, All Other: First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers ($44K) , Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers ($34K) , Bartenders ($34K) , Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other ($36K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

Highest-pay states for Cooks, All Other

State names lead when O*NET tasks are absent for this SOC, geography mass differs by occupation even when peer titles overlap.

  1. 1. Massachusetts $69,570
  2. 2. Nevada $51,220
  3. 3. New York $43,000
  4. 4. Colorado $43,490
  5. 5. Washington $52,510
  6. 6. Georgia $42,960
  7. 7. North Dakota $44,190
  8. 8. Indiana $44,290
  9. 9. Missouri $43,990
  10. 10. New Jersey $46,080
Highest published state median
Massachusetts
$69,570 · national $37,690
$38K
National median
↑ +6%
Growth 2024-2034
3,700
Annual openings
19,350
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Highest-pay peer · $44K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

State pay geography leads this card: Massachusetts holds the highest published median ($69,570) among the listed states for Cooks, All Other. National median is $37,690.

Employment Projections expect +6% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $69,570. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers at $44,080. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Cooks, All Other pay-rank #4 in Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Among 17 detailed Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations with a published OEWS median, Cooks, All Other is pay-rank #4, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations titles sit near Cooks, All Other at the top of the pay table?
Cooks, All Other is pay-rank #4 of 17 detailed Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria ($37K), Cooks, Restaurant ($37K), First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers ($44K), Cooks, Private Household ($48K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What is the OEWS national median for Cooks, All Other?
May 2025 OEWS reports $37,690 as the national median for Cooks, All Other. The published 10th-90th range is $27,040 to $51,140. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers ($44,080), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Cooks, All Other?
The 2024-2034 projection for Cooks, All Other is +6%. Projected annual openings: about 3,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Cooks, All Other?
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Cooks, All Other. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Cooks, All Other?
Massachusetts ($69,570), Nevada ($51,220), New York ($43,000) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Cooks, All Other card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 35-2019. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Cooks, All Other. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics