Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-2012 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$37,461
$18.01/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $37,461 per year ($18.01/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $32,448 and $44,803 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $49,670 per year. There are approximately 441,050 cooks, institution and cafeteria employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.0%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
70K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
466K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
1% from new growth99% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
127K
$35,560
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
73K
$38,480
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
49K
$36,750
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly
NAICS 623300
49K
$38,620
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
31K
$43,950
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,560 to $43,950 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.69
$28,475
P25
$15.60
$32,448
P50MEDIAN
$18.01
$37,461
P75
$21.54
$44,803
P90
$23.88
$49,670
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cooks, institution and cafeteria salary?
The national median salary for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $37,461 per year ($18.01/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $32,448 and $44,803 annually.
How much do top-earning cooks, institution and cafeteria make?
The 90th percentile salary for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $49,670 per year ($23.88/hr). The 75th percentile is $44,803 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria?
Entry-level Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,475 per year ($13.69/hr). The 25th percentile is $32,448 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.