Cook Hourly Pay, Skills & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 52,846 US job postings by 7,267 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for cooks: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 52,846 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for cooks in US job postings is $19.00 an hour (11,129 postings from 1,500 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $17.00 to $21.08 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $19.20 an hour (1,995 postings).
- The skills that most set cook postings apart are food preparation, cooking techniques, knife skills.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 1 year of experience.
Cook job postings in the US, October 2026
- $19.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (11,129 postings)
- $17.00–$21.08
- Middle 50% of postings
- $19.20/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 52,846
- US job postings from 7,267 employers
How much does a cook make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $19.00 an hour, from 11,129 US job postings by 1,500 employers that state pay. That is about $40,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 11,129 US cook job postings: median $40,000 a year ($19.00 an hour), middle half $35,000 to $44,000.
- Median: $40,000 ($19.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $35,000
- 75th percentile: $44,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $10K–$20K | 0.4% |
| $20K–$30K | 7.2% |
| $30K–$40K | 46.9% |
| $40K–$50K | 36.4% |
| $50K–$60K | 6.7% |
| $60K–$70K | 1.6% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $19.00 | $17.00–$21.08 | 4,786 |
| All pay postings, annualised | $40,000 | $35K–$44K | 11,129 |
What is the starting salary for a cook?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $19.20 an hour (1,995 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $19.20/hr | 1,995 |
| 2-4 years | $20.09/hr | 1,230 |
| 5+ years | withheld | 103 |
Cook levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 96.4% | 1 year | $18.75/hr |
| Lead | 0.9% | 2 years | $22.00/hr |
| Level II | 0.9% | 2 years | $22.68/hr |
| Level I | 0.8% | 2 years | – |
Highest-paying cook jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grill Cook | $19.32/hr | 611 | 75 |
| Line Cook | $19.07/hr | 2,876 | 518 |
| Cook (general) | $19.00/hr | 4,520 | 728 |
| Restaurant Cook | $18.55/hr | 256 | 85 |
| Prep Cook | $18.50/hr | 1,693 | 210 |
Cook pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $22.17/hr | $20.00–$24.00 | 293 | 1.3% |
| California | $21.00/hr | $19.25–$23.66 | 1,353 | 8.5% |
| Massachusetts | $20.62/hr | $19.88–$22.43 | 333 | 2.0% |
| New York | $20.50/hr | $18.50–$22.00 | 784 | 3.8% |
| Colorado | $20.20/hr | $18.92–$22.00 | 364 | 2.1% |
| New Jersey | $20.19/hr | $19.00–$21.71 | 348 | 1.9% |
| Maryland | $20.00/hr | $18.25–$20.52 | 263 | 1.6% |
| Connecticut | $19.62/hr | $18.75–$21.50 | 104 | 0.9% |
| Illinois | $19.50/hr | $17.50–$20.75 | 560 | 3.7% |
| Arizona | $19.40/hr | $17.75–$21.00 | 242 | 3.2% |
| Minnesota | $19.20/hr | $17.47–$21.81 | 309 | 1.8% |
| Florida | $18.50/hr | $16.88–$20.00 | 308 | 7.3% |
| Tennessee | $18.50/hr | $16.00–$20.00 | 142 | 2.7% |
| Wisconsin | $18.00/hr | $15.50–$20.50 | 202 | 1.9% |
| Michigan | $17.80/hr | $16.17–$19.00 | 112 | 2.2% |
| Missouri | $17.50/hr | $16.00–$19.00 | 113 | 2.1% |
| South Carolina | $17.50/hr | $16.00–$20.00 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Pennsylvania | $17.30/hr | $15.00–$19.00 | 387 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | $17.24/hr | $16.25–$18.89 | 353 | 2.8% |
| Texas | $17.00/hr | $15.00–$18.75 | 570 | 10.0% |
| Georgia | $17.00/hr | $13.00–$18.50 | 289 | 4.1% |
| North Carolina | $17.00/hr | $15.00–$19.00 | 250 | 3.5% |
| Ohio | $16.00/hr | $15.00–$18.00 | 263 | 3.7% |
| IN | $15.56/hr | $15.00–$17.56 | 148 | 2.2% |
Skills employers ask for in cook job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 19% |
| Attention to detail | 16% |
| Teamwork | 11% |
| Organizational skills | 9% |
| Food preparation | 8% |
| Positive attitude | 8% |
| Customer service | 8% |
| Team player | 8% |
| Dependable | 6% |
| Time management | 6% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set cooks apart
- Food preparation27.3× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Sanitation21.8× as often as in all postings · 5%
- Food safety19.4× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a cook job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does a cook do?
Employers post these jobs as Line Cook, Prep Cook, Dietary Cook, Cook I, Cook II and other titles. The largest specializations are Line Cook (24%), Prep Cook (13%), Dietary Cook (2%), Restaurant Cook (2%), Grill Cook (5%), Cook II (2%).
The closest official occupation is Cooks, Restaurant (35-2014.00). Its most important tasks:
- Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
- Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
- Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
- Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
- Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be a cook?
Among 5,327 postings that state a minimum, the median is 1 year. 1% say 0 years and 57% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 5,327 US cook job postings: median 1 year, and 57% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 6% |
| 1 yr | 51% |
| 2 yrs | 30% |
| 3-4 yrs | 10% |
| 5-7 yrs | 2% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 61%, Part-time 39% of the 2,747 postings that state working hours.
Other names for a cook: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Cook | 3,417 (47.0%) |
| Line Cook | 1,959 (27.0%) |
| Prep Cook | 745 (10.2%) |
| Dietary Cook | 373 (5.1%) |
| Cook I | 160 (2.2%) |
| Cook II | 135 (1.9%) |
| Grill Cook | 131 (1.8%) |
| Lead Cook | 110 (1.5%) |
| Cooks | 107 (1.5%) |
| Banquet Cook | 79 (1.1%) |
| Part Time Cook | 77 (1.1%) |
| Lead Line Cook | 75 (1.0%) |
| Breakfast Cook | 74 (1.0%) |
| Cook III | 72 (1.0%) |
| Cook 1 | 68 (0.9%) |
| Restaurant Cook | 68 (0.9%) |
| Cook 2 | 67 (0.9%) |
| Line Cooks | 58 (0.8%) |
| PM Line Cook | 52 (0.7%) |
| Full-Time Cook | 50 (0.7%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Cook job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line Cook | 10,889 | 1,959 | $19.21/hr | 1 year | communication, attention to detail, teamwork |
| Prep Cook | 4,734 | 745 | $18.50/hr | 1 year | communication, attention to detail, teamwork |
Line Cook vs Prep Cook
| Line Cook | Prep Cook | |
|---|---|---|
| Open US postings | 10,889 | 4,734 |
| Employers | 1,959 | 745 |
| Median advertised pay | $19.21/hr | $18.50/hr |
| Median experience asked | 1 year | 1 year |
| Skills that stand out | – | fifo |
Cook compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | $19.00/hr | 1 year | 52,846 | – |
| Chef | $60K | 2 years | 9,444 | 18 |
| Food Service Worker | $17.00/hr | 1 year | 20,301 | 16 |
| Baker | $18.50/hr | 1 year | 9,167 | 19 |
| Dishwasher | $17.00/hr | 1 year | 14,337 | 16 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Chef | 18 | $60K |
| Food Service Worker | 16 | $17.00/hr |
| Baker | 19 | $18.50/hr |
| Dishwasher | 16 | $17.00/hr |
| Butcher | 14 | $18.64/hr |
| Stocker | 15 | $17.50/hr |
Applying for cook jobs?
- Cook resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find cook jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cook make an hour?
What are the highest-paying cook jobs?
How much does a Line Cook make?
How much does a Prep Cook make?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.