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Occupational Employment Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

35-2014 Cooks, Restaurant

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
1,276,510 0.7 % $12.71 $26,440 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.04 $10.28 $12.10 $14.50 $17.52
Annual Wage (2) $18,810 $21,380 $25,180 $30,150 $36,440

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,086,850 10.34 $12.49 $25,970
Traveler Accommodation 75,380 3.85 $15.01 $31,230
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 24,980 1.96 $13.70 $28,490
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 23,000 5.95 $12.32 $25,630
Special Food Services 21,420 3.08 $13.98 $29,070

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 1,086,850 10.34 $12.49 $25,970
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 23,000 5.95 $12.32 $25,630
Traveler Accommodation 75,380 3.85 $15.01 $31,230
Special Food Services 21,420 3.08 $13.98 $29,070
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 480 2.99 $15.25 $31,710

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services 110 0.05 $17.42 $36,230
Individual and Family Services 70 (7) $15.59 $32,430
Facilities Support Services 80 0.05 $15.54 $32,320
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water 480 2.99 $15.25 $31,710
Traveler Accommodation 75,380 3.85 $15.01 $31,230

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 145,650 8.72 0.97 $14.27 $29,680
Texas 106,830 8.98 1.00 $12.10 $25,170
Florida 105,470 12.53 1.40 $12.97 $26,980
New York 68,720 7.46 0.83 $13.82 $28,740
Pennsylvania 54,080 9.35 1.04 $12.28 $25,540




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 22,530 17.20 1.92 $14.97 $31,140
Hawaii 9,150 14.46 1.61 $16.76 $34,870
Florida 105,470 12.53 1.40 $12.97 $26,980
Montana 5,740 12.46 1.39 $11.73 $24,400
Colorado 31,790 12.44 1.39 $13.25 $27,560




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 9,150 14.46 1.61 $16.76 $34,870
New Jersey 21,100 5.27 0.59 $14.99 $31,180
Nevada 22,530 17.20 1.92 $14.97 $31,140
District of Columbia 6,040 8.53 0.95 $14.93 $31,060
Massachusetts 28,630 8.11 0.91 $14.86 $30,910



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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 47,880 7.15 0.80 $14.34 $29,830
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 39,440 8.90 0.99 $13.58 $28,240
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 30,830 8.42 0.94 $13.03 $27,090
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 26,750 9.13 1.02 $12.57 $26,150
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 22,700 8.67 0.97 $11.31 $23,520
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 22,420 9.00 1.00 $13.08 $27,200
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 21,280 8.45 0.94 $13.52 $28,120
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 19,190 9.93 1.11 $13.31 $27,690
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 19,110 15.80 1.76 $13.33 $27,720
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 17,990 12.47 1.39 $13.21 $27,490