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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

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)
400,320 0.7 % $13.60 $28,290 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.06 $10.58 $12.91 $15.80 $19.17
Annual Wage (2) $18,840 $22,000 $26,860 $32,860 $39,880


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 119,470 1.40 $12.71 $26,440
Special Food Services 55,160 7.69 $14.24 $29,630
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 45,820 2.85 $13.02 $27,080
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 40,560 4.36 $13.70 $28,500
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 30,580 0.55 $15.35 $31,930

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 55,160 7.69 $14.24 $29,630
Rooming and Boarding Houses 750 6.28 $14.65 $30,480
Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 40,560 4.36 $13.70 $28,500
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) 45,820 2.85 $13.02 $27,080
Child Day Care Services 18,540 2.06 $11.93 $24,810

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) 2,630 0.13 $20.99 $43,650
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 4,680 0.22 $18.38 $38,230
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 460 1.21 $17.54 $36,480
Insurance Carriers 90 0.01 $17.11 $35,580
Inland Water Transportation 380 1.48 $16.53 $34,380


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 33,000 2.72 0.98 $11.91 $24,770
California 29,470 1.73 0.63 $17.15 $35,680
Illinois 19,960 3.33 1.20 $13.24 $27,550
Ohio 18,910 3.49 1.26 $13.11 $27,260
New York 16,180 1.72 0.62 $16.73 $34,800




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 5,090 7.30 2.64 $11.63 $24,200
Mississippi 7,180 6.39 2.31 $9.84 $20,460
South Dakota 2,570 6.08 2.20 $12.61 $26,230
Oklahoma 9,680 6.07 2.20 $10.41 $21,650
Delaware 2,650 5.90 2.13 $15.68 $32,620




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 3,360 2.03 0.73 $18.55 $38,580
Hawaii 1,360 2.11 0.76 $18.32 $38,110
Alaska 1,250 3.97 1.43 $18.11 $37,670
Massachusetts 7,460 2.09 0.76 $17.93 $37,300
District of Columbia 1,600 2.24 0.81 $17.92 $37,270





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 14,970 1.58 0.57 $17.33 $36,050
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 11,550 2.49 0.90 $13.86 $28,830
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 8,910 1.46 0.53 $16.56 $34,440
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 8,450 2.37 0.86 $13.07 $27,180
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 6,870 2.41 0.87 $15.62 $32,500
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 6,010 1.92 0.69 $16.30 $33,910
St. Louis, MO-IL 5,670 4.16 1.50 $12.59 $26,180
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,470 1.98 0.72 $18.11 $37,670
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 5,360 2.70 0.98 $17.16 $35,700
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,300 1.97 0.71 $13.16 $27,370




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)
Enid, OK 250 10.21 3.69 $9.34 $19,430
Pueblo, CO 580 9.60 3.47 $12.62 $26,260
Lawton, OK 390 8.97 3.24 $10.58 $22,010
Dover, DE 550 8.64 3.12 $15.13 $31,470
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 460 8.38 3.03 $10.05 $20,910
Sumter, SC 300 8.22 2.97 $9.34 $19,420
Beckley, WV 320 7.63 2.76 $11.35 $23,610
Decatur, AL 390 7.43 2.69 $9.55 $19,870
Gadsden, AL 260 7.07 2.56 $9.38 $19,520
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL 300 6.99 2.53 $10.92 $22,710




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)
El Centro, CA 90 1.62 0.58 $22.26 $46,290
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 190 4.32 1.56 $20.86 $43,400
Barnstable Town, MA 290 2.81 1.01 $20.15 $41,900
New Haven, CT 560 1.97 0.71 $20.02 $41,630
Napa, CA 100 1.34 0.49 $19.55 $40,660
Salinas, CA 310 1.74 0.63 $19.53 $40,630
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 100 1.39 0.50 $19.36 $40,270
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,270 2.17 0.78 $18.89 $39,290
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 370 2.67 0.97 $18.86 $39,220
Madera, CA 220 4.95 1.79 $18.76 $39,020

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)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,850 7.25 2.62 $11.02 $22,920
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,560 6.70 2.42 $9.50 $19,760
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 1,540 9.11 3.29 $9.40 $19,560
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,490 5.47 1.98 $9.85 $20,480
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area 1,430 8.69 3.14 $10.15 $21,120

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)
East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area 810 12.37 4.47 $12.94 $26,920
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,230 12.31 4.45 $10.58 $22,010
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 830 11.08 4.01 $11.11 $23,110
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,020 10.58 3.83 $9.34 $19,420
Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area 700 10.30 3.72 $12.86 $26,760

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)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 150 1.50 0.54 $20.01 $41,630
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 220 3.73 1.35 $18.66 $38,800
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 360 3.62 1.31 $18.47 $38,420
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 750 7.10 2.57 $18.06 $37,570
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 70 2.25 0.81 $17.71 $36,840


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

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.

(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 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019