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Occupational Employment Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

35-2012 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Prepare and cook large quantities of food for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or cafeterias.

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)
402,480 0.8 % $13.96 $29,030 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.23 $10.92 $13.34 $16.32 $19.50
Annual Wage (2) $19,200 $22,710 $27,750 $33,940 $40,570

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)
Elementary and Secondary Schools 120,070 1.40 $12.97 $26,980
Special Food Services 58,650 7.99 $14.51 $30,180
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 46,320 2.89 $13.52 $28,130
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 42,020 4.44 $14.28 $29,710
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 30,160 0.54 $15.90 $33,060

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Special Food Services 58,650 7.99 $14.51 $30,180
Rooming and Boarding Houses 590 5.05 $13.50 $28,070
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 42,020 4.44 $14.28 $29,710
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 46,320 2.89 $13.52 $28,130
Child Day Care Services 18,560 2.01 $12.28 $25,550

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 2,620 0.13 $21.13 $43,960
Support Activities for Water Transportation 50 0.05 $20.28 $42,180
Insurance Carriers 90 0.01 $18.31 $38,090
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 370 0.96 $18.24 $37,940
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 And 5223 only) 30 (7) $17.89 $37,210

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)
Texas 30,000 2.41 0.88 $12.24 $25,450
California 24,900 1.43 0.52 $17.64 $36,700
Ohio 20,630 3.79 1.38 $13.41 $27,900
Illinois 20,450 3.39 1.24 $13.61 $28,310
Florida 19,560 2.22 0.81 $13.02 $27,090




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)
West Virginia 4,930 7.02 2.56 $12.13 $25,230
Oklahoma 10,290 6.36 2.32 $10.79 $22,450
Mississippi 7,120 6.31 2.30 $10.00 $20,800
Montana 2,920 6.23 2.27 $13.39 $27,840
South Dakota 2,570 6.03 2.20 $13.11 $27,280




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 3,290 1.98 0.72 $19.09 $39,710
Hawaii 1,360 2.15 0.78 $19.05 $39,610
Massachusetts 7,960 2.20 0.80 $18.70 $38,900
Alaska 1,400 4.42 1.61 $18.68 $38,850
District of Columbia 1,500 2.08 0.76 $18.11 $37,670





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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 14,650 1.52 0.55 $18.04 $37,520
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 11,760 2.52 0.92 $14.22 $29,580
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8,040 2.20 0.80 $13.20 $27,460
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,930 1.27 0.46 $17.19 $35,750
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,470 2.25 0.82 $16.12 $33,540
St. Louis, MO-IL 6,120 4.47 1.63 $12.97 $26,970
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,800 2.07 0.76 $18.83 $39,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 5,360 1.69 0.62 $16.75 $34,850
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 5,300 2.01 0.73 $13.43 $27,940
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 5,000 2.36 0.86 $14.04 $29,190