Cooks, All Other Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-2019 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$37,690
$18.12/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Cooks, All Other is $37,690 per year ($18.12/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $32,157 and $43,680 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $51,147 per year. There are approximately 19,350 cooks, all other employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
All cooks not listed separately.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+5.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
24K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% 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
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
4K
$37,210
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
3K
$38,460
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
3K
$40,250
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
1K
$38,850
Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 512100
850
$35,990
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,990 to $40,250 (12% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.00
$27,040
P25
$15.46
$32,157
P50MEDIAN
$18.12
$37,690
P75
$21.00
$43,680
P90
$24.59
$51,147
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, all other salary?
The national median salary for Cooks, All Other is $37,690 per year ($18.12/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $32,157 and $43,680 annually.
How much do top-earning cooks, all other make?
The 90th percentile salary for Cooks, All Other is $51,147 per year ($24.59/hr). The 75th percentile is $43,680 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for cooks, all other?
Entry-level Cooks, All Other (10th percentile) earn approximately $27,040 per year ($13.00/hr). The 25th percentile is $32,157 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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