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All cooks not listed separately.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15,870 | 5.4 % | $14.38 | $29,900 | 1.0 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $9.54 | $11.00 | $13.46 | $16.78 | $20.49 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $19,830 | $22,880 | $27,990 | $34,900 | $42,620 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Food Services | 5,420 | 0.78 | $14.88 | $30,950 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) | 2,360 | 0.08 | $13.47 | $28,020 |
| Employment Services | 950 | 0.03 | $14.51 | $30,180 |
| Rooming and Boarding Houses | 820 | 6.91 | $13.82 | $28,740 |
| Traveler Accommodation | 740 | 0.04 | $15.63 | $32,510 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooming and Boarding Houses | 820 | 6.91 | $13.82 | $28,740 |
| Inland Water Transportation | 240 | 0.91 | $16.17 | $33,640 |
| Special Food Services | 5,420 | 0.78 | $14.88 | $30,950 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water | 60 | 0.36 | $20.98 | $43,650 |
| Vending Machine Operators | 90 | 0.24 | $11.35 | $23,610 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water | 60 | 0.36 | $20.98 | $43,650 |
| Other Personal Services | (8) | (8) | $18.65 | $38,800 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 80 | 0.05 | $16.97 | $35,300 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | 110 | 0.05 | $16.80 | $34,940 |
| Rail Transportation | (8) | (8) | $16.67 | $34,680 |
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 | 3,740 | 0.22 | 2.01 | $15.77 | $32,800 |
| Illinois | 1,950 | 0.33 | 2.96 | $13.30 | $27,670 |
| Florida | 1,200 | 0.14 | 1.28 | $13.04 | $27,130 |
| New York | 800 | 0.09 | 0.78 | $15.08 | $31,370 |
| Louisiana | 720 | 0.38 | 3.38 | $12.49 | $25,980 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 490 | 0.77 | 6.91 | $16.66 | $34,650 |
| Alaska | 190 | 0.59 | 5.31 | $18.02 | $37,480 |
| Louisiana | 720 | 0.38 | 3.38 | $12.49 | $25,980 |
| Illinois | 1,950 | 0.33 | 2.96 | $13.30 | $27,670 |
| Connecticut | 380 | 0.23 | 2.09 | $16.81 | $34,960 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 190 | 0.15 | 1.32 | $18.34 | $38,150 |
| Alaska | 190 | 0.59 | 5.31 | $18.02 | $37,480 |
| Colorado | 50 | 0.02 | 0.19 | $17.76 | $36,950 |
| New Jersey | 340 | 0.09 | 0.77 | $17.05 | $35,450 |
| Massachusetts | 180 | 0.05 | 0.46 | $16.92 | $35,190 |
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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 1,580 | 0.43 | 3.87 | $13.32 | $27,700 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 1,300 | 0.29 | 2.64 | $15.47 | $32,170 |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 730 | 0.11 | 0.98 | $15.84 | $32,950 |
| San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division | 410 | 0.37 | 3.29 | $17.33 | $36,040 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 360 | 0.77 | 6.94 | $15.49 | $32,210 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 340 | 0.18 | 1.59 | $13.98 | $29,080 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 320 | 0.57 | 5.16 | $11.86 | $24,670 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 310 | 0.27 | 2.46 | $19.96 | $41,510 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 290 | 0.21 | 1.92 | $13.92 | $28,950 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 210 | 0.13 | 1.18 | $14.32 | $29,780 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 90 | 1.29 | 11.56 | $11.36 | $23,640 |
| Sebring, FL | 30 | 1.20 | 10.76 | $12.04 | $25,050 |
| Corvallis, OR | 30 | 0.90 | 8.08 | $12.83 | $26,680 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 170 | 0.86 | 7.76 | $15.50 | $32,240 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | 70 | 0.81 | 7.30 | $17.07 | $35,500 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 360 | 0.77 | 6.94 | $15.49 | $32,210 |
| Eugene, OR | 100 | 0.67 | 5.99 | $13.38 | $27,820 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 320 | 0.57 | 5.16 | $11.86 | $24,670 |
| Anchorage, AK | 100 | 0.55 | 4.96 | $17.68 | $36,780 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 60 | 0.53 | 4.73 | $16.15 | $33,590 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | (8) | (8) | (8) | $24.82 | $51,630 |
| Worcester, MA-CT | (8) | (8) | (8) | $21.67 | $45,060 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 70 | 0.04 | 0.36 | $20.58 | $42,810 |
| Oakland-Hayward-Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Division | 310 | 0.27 | 2.46 | $19.96 | $41,510 |
| New Haven, CT | 40 | 0.15 | 1.37 | $19.39 | $40,320 |
| Charlottesville, VA | (8) | (8) | (8) | $19.02 | $39,560 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | 160 | 0.17 | 1.50 | $18.46 | $38,390 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 210 | 0.15 | 1.32 | $18.35 | $38,170 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 100 | 0.05 | 0.47 | $17.99 | $37,410 |
| Anchorage, AK | 100 | 0.55 | 4.96 | $17.68 | $36,780 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.37 | 3.30 | $11.48 | $23,870 |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.66 | 5.96 | $14.81 | $30,810 |
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.90 | 8.11 | $18.52 | $38,520 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.25 | 2.21 | $10.16 | $21,130 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.32 | 2.86 | $11.10 | $23,080 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.90 | 8.11 | $18.52 | $38,520 |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.66 | 5.96 | $14.81 | $30,810 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.53 | 4.76 | $13.99 | $29,090 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.39 | 3.49 | $10.95 | $22,770 |
| West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.37 | 3.30 | $11.48 | $23,870 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 60 | 0.90 | 8.11 | $18.52 | $38,520 |
| Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $16.73 | $34,790 |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 0.66 | 5.96 | $14.81 | $30,810 |
| East Washington nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $14.51 | $30,170 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.53 | 4.76 | $13.99 | $29,090 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018