Cafeteria Cook Salary
$17.5K - $19.5K
1% of jobs
$19.5K - $21.5K
2% of jobs
$21.5K - $23.5K
4% of jobs
$23.5K - $25.5K
7% of jobs
$25.5K - $27.5K
7% of jobs
$28.1K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$27.5K - $29.5K
18% of jobs
The median wage is $30.7K / yr.
$29.5K - $31.5K
21% of jobs
$31.5K - $33.5K
16% of jobs
$33.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$33.5K - $35.5K
9% of jobs
$35.5K - $37.5K
9% of jobs
$37.5K - $39.5K
7% of jobs
$17.5K
$32K
$42K
$32,861
/year
$15.80
/hour
Cafeteria Cook Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$32,861
Columbus
Ohio
$31,740
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How much does a Cafeteria Cook make?
As of Sep 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Cafeteria Cook in the United States is $32,861 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $15.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $631/week or $2,738/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $42,000 and as low as $17,500, the majority of Cafeteria Cook salaries currently range between $30,000 (25th percentile) to $36,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $40,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Cafeteria Cook varies greatly (by as much as 6500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Cafeteria Cook in your area makes on average $31,740 per year, or $1,121 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $32,861. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Cafeteria Cook salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Cafeteria Cook jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Cafeteria Cook on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Cafeteria Cook Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Cafeteria Cook job is above the national average. Topping the list is Ione, CA, , with Boulder, CO, and Napa, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Napa, CA, beats the national average by $9,889 (30.1%), and Ione, CA, furthers that trend with another $14,206 (43.2%) above the $32,861 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Cafeteria Cook appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 18% between Ione, CA, and Snowmass Village, CO, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Cafeteria Cook role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Ione, CA | $47,067 | $22.63 |
Boulder, CO | $43,085 | $20.71 |
Napa, CA | $42,750 | $20.55 |
Berkeley, CA | $40,236 | $19.34 |
Shanksville, PA | $39,783 | $19.13 |
Sitka, AK | $39,587 | $19.03 |
Storm Lake, IA | $39,183 | $18.84 |
Pennsboro, WV | $39,159 | $18.83 |
Maple Grove, MN | $39,059 | $18.78 |
Snowmass Village, CO | $38,967 | $18.73 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Cafeteria Cook Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Cafeteria Cook category.
For example Zaha Hadid Architects jobs pay as much as $65,402 (199.0%) more than the average Cafeteria Cook salary of $32,861. If you're qualified, finding work as a Zaha Hadid Architects may help you make more money than that of the average Cafeteria Cook position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Zaha Hadid Architects | $98,263 | $47.24 |
Garnishment | $70,803 | $34.04 |
Nutrition Counselor | $46,965 | $22.58 |
Certified Food Manager | $45,753 | $22.00 |
School Cafeteria Head Cook | $32,861 | $15.80 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
