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
Is this a competitive Cooks salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$28K
P25$32K
P50$37K
P75$45K
P90$50K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $37,461 to $44,803 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Cooks pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.7% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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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
4.8%
Quits Rate
3.0%
Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.
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.
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