Prep Cook
Prep Cook Salary
$19.5K - $21.5K
2% of jobs
$21.5K - $23.5K
3% of jobs
$23.5K - $25.5K
8% of jobs
$25.5K - $27.5K
8% of jobs
$28.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$27.5K - $29.5K
11% of jobs
$29.5K - $31.5K
14% of jobs
The median wage is $32K / yr.
$31.5K - $33.5K
16% of jobs
$35.3K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$33.5K - $35.5K
14% of jobs
$35.5K - $37.5K
12% of jobs
$37.5K - $39.5K
7% of jobs
$39.5K - $41.5K
4% of jobs
$19.5K
$32.5K
$42.5K
$32,628
/year
$15.69
/hour
Prep Cook Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$32,628
Columbus
Ohio
$31,516
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How much does a Prep Cook make?
As of Jul 26, 2026, the average annual pay for a Prep Cook in the United States is $32,628 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $15.69 an hour. This is the equivalent of $627/week or $2,719/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $42,500 and as low as $19,500, the majority of Prep Cook salaries currently range between $28,500 (25th percentile) to $36,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $40,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Prep Cook varies greatly (by as much as 7500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Prep Cook in your area makes on average $31,516 per year, or $1,112 (3.408%) less than the national average annual salary of $32,628. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Prep Cook salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Prep Cook jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Prep Cook on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Prep Cook Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Prep Cook job is above the national average. Topping the list is Calhoun City, MS, , with Corcoran, CA, and Mineral, VA, close behind in the second and third positions. Mineral, VA, beats the national average by $14,793 (45.3%), and Calhoun City, MS, furthers that trend with another $20,228 (62.0%) above the $32,628 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Prep 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 Calhoun City, MS, and Dendron, VA, , 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 Prep Cook role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Calhoun City, MS | $52,856 | $25.41 |
Corcoran, CA | $52,012 | $25.01 |
Mineral, VA | $47,421 | $22.80 |
Gonzales, CA | $47,138 | $22.66 |
Llano, CA | $46,746 | $22.47 |
Ione, CA | $46,734 | $22.47 |
La Honda, CA | $44,383 | $21.34 |
Pescadero, CA | $44,192 | $21.25 |
Two Rivers, WI | $44,027 | $21.17 |
Dendron, VA | $43,728 | $21.02 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Prep Cook Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Prep Cook category.
For example Chef De Partie jobs pay as much as $12,148 (37.2%) more than the average Prep Cook salary of $32,628. If you're qualified, finding work as a Chef De Partie may help you make more money than that of the average Prep Cook position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Chef De Partie | $44,776 | $21.53 |
Medical Line | $43,071 | $20.71 |
Line Leader | $38,816 | $18.66 |
Restaurant Line Cook | $32,189 | $15.48 |
Restaurant Cook | $27,597 | $13.27 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
