A Jail Cook's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Jail Cook Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Jail Cook's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Jail Cook Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Jail Cooks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $43,328.
California: $43,163.
Massachusetts: $42,588.
District of Columbia$43,328
California$43,163
Massachusetts$42,588
Washington$42,431
New Jersey$42,416
Alaska$42,361
Connecticut$41,821
New York$41,602
Hawaii$40,901
Rhode Island$40,573
Maryland$40,350
Minnesota$40,044
Colorado$39,927
Illinois$39,888
Oregon$39,739
Delaware$39,630
New Hampshire$39,561
Virginia$39,407
Pennsylvania$38,957
Nevada$38,730
North Dakota$38,655
Michigan$38,538
Wisconsin$38,495
Vermont$38,409
Texas$38,170
Maine$38,154
Arizona$38,131
Ohio$38,103
Georgia$37,743
Indiana$37,563
Wyoming$37,528
Utah$37,473
Iowa$37,450
Kansas$37,262
Louisiana$37,207
North Carolina$37,188
Missouri$37,180
Florida$37,027
Montana$36,945
Nebraska$36,867
Kentucky$36,824
South Carolina$36,667
Tennessee$36,569
Idaho$36,530
New Mexico$36,245
Oklahoma$36,182
Alabama$35,951
South Dakota$35,564
Arkansas$35,352
West Virginia$35,239
Mississippi$34,898
Top Paying Cities for Jail Cooks
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $49,358
San Francisco: $48,818
Oakland: $47,789
San Jose, CA$49,358
San Francisco, CA$48,818
Oakland, CA$47,789
New York, NY$45,057
Paramus, NJ$44,509
Queens Village, NY$44,507
Passaic, NJ$44,470
Bergenfield, NJ$44,466
Stamford, CT$44,380
Huntington, NY$44,364
Newark, NJ$44,075
Bridgeport, CT$43,992
Vallejo, CA$43,915
New Brunswick, NJ$43,899
Petaluma, CA$43,875
Middlesex, NJ$43,801
Somerset, NJ$43,774
Santa Cruz, CA$43,723
Boston, MA$43,484
Monterey, CA$43,347
Seattle, WA$43,257
Santa Rosa, CA$43,249
Los Angeles, CA$43,238
Juneau, AK$43,136
Washington, DC$43,093
Orange, CA$42,954
Santa Ana, CA$42,850
Long Beach, CA$42,811
Anaheim, CA$42,803
Anchorage, AK$42,784
Santa Maria, CA$42,666
Everett, WA$42,658
Danbury, CT$42,521
Bremerton, WA$42,467
Tacoma, WA$42,326
New Suffolk, NY$42,325
Sacramento, CA$42,314
Santa Barbara, CA$42,271
Trenton, NJ$42,228
San Diego, CA$42,228
Brockton, MA$42,185
Fairbanks, AK$42,089
Lompoc, CA$41,989
Lowell, MA$41,958
Ventura, CA$41,950
Nashua, NH$41,942
Stockton, CA$41,938
Modesto, CA$41,653
Poughkeepsie, NY$41,567
Olympia, WA$41,492
Kennewick, WA$41,492
New Haven, CT$41,477
Lawrence, MA$41,336
Hartford, CT$41,297
Riverside, CA$41,289
New Bedford, MA$41,250
Richland, WA$41,250
Bakersfield, CA$41,195
San Bernardino, CA$41,179
New Britain, CT$41,175
Atlantic City, NJ$41,175
New London, CT$41,160
Norwich, CT$41,148
Portsmouth, NH$41,140
Boulder, CO$41,057
Portland, OR$41,003
Worcester, MA$40,999
Minneapolis, MN$40,878
Philadelphia, PA$40,823
Honolulu, HI$40,694
Saint Paul, MN$40,675
Vineland, NJ$40,667
Providence, RI$40,553
Chicago, IL$40,440
Bellingham, WA$40,393
Springfield, MA$40,361
Baltimore, MD$40,350
Chico, CA$40,252
Pittsfield, MA$40,146
Manchester, NH$40,072
Spokane, WA$39,900
Denver, CO$39,896
Albany, NY$39,712
Troy, NY$39,696
Nassau, NY$39,654
Schenectady, NY$39,614
Wilmington, DE$39,583
Burlington, VT$39,528
Salem, OR$39,512
Portland, ME$39,391
Yakima, WA$39,352
Rochester, MN$39,230
Reno, NV$39,211
Fresno, CA$39,211
Milwaukee, WI$39,176
Detroit, MI$39,137
Ann Arbor, MI$39,130
Allentown, PA$39,125
Colorado Springs, CO$39,058
Syracuse, NY$39,039
Carson City, NV$39,039
Houston, TX$38,984
Eugene, OR$38,964
Gary, IN$38,917
Springfield, OR$38,886
Bismarck, ND$38,878
Galveston, TX$38,851
Medford, OR$38,792
Fort Collins, CO$38,776
Concord, NH$38,757
Austin, TX$38,745
Mesa, AZ$38,663
Reading, PA$38,659
Phoenix, AZ$38,655
Dallas, TX$38,643
Saint Cloud, MN$38,606
Madison, WI$38,553
Utica, NY$38,448
Rochester, NY$38,385
Des Moines, IA$38,381
Raleigh, NC$38,377
Atlanta, GA$38,319
Battle Creek, MI$38,307
Salt Lake City, UT$38,295
Lancaster, PA$38,236
Harrisburg, PA$38,182
Kansas City, MO$38,143
Champaign, IL$38,135
Kansas City, KS$38,135
Fort Worth, TX$38,131
Columbus, OH$38,124
Boca Raton, FL$38,115
Pittsburgh, PA$38,099
Richmond, VA$38,084
Indianapolis, IN$38,076
Cleveland, OH$38,072
Las Vegas, NV$38,025
Cincinnati, OH$38,025
Petersburg, VA$37,966
Huntsville, AL$37,908
Lansing, MI$37,882
Lebanon, PA$37,876
Pueblo, CO$37,873
Appleton, WI$37,861
Buffalo, NY$37,845
Dayton, OH$37,833
Racine, WI$37,826
Charlotte, NC$37,822
Saint Louis, MO$37,810
York, PA$37,786
Elkhart, IN$37,786
Gastonia, NC$37,779
Billings, MT$37,770
Beaumont, TX$37,759
Lorain, OH$37,751
Benton Harbor, MI$37,743
Toledo, OH$37,736
Binghamton, NY$37,716
Rock Hill, SC$37,712
Rockford, IL$37,693
Springfield, IL$37,677
Elyria, OH$37,673
Fargo, ND$37,673
Flagstaff, AZ$37,646
Fort Lauderdale, FL$37,622
Duluth, MN$37,599
Miami, FL$37,599
Cheyenne, WY$37,571
Grand Forks, ND$37,571
Bangor, ME$37,485
Cedar Rapids, IA$37,442
Durham, NC$37,426
Louisville, KY$37,423
Grand Rapids, MI$37,415
Hialeah, FL$37,411
Casper, WY$37,356
Scranton, PA$37,309
New Orleans, LA$37,297
Virginia Beach, VA$37,293
Akron, OH$37,274
Peoria, IL$37,223
Sarasota, FL$37,215
Nashville, TN$37,188
Omaha, NE$37,188
Green Bay, WI$37,188
Baton Rouge, LA$37,168
Charleston, SC$37,160
Jamestown, NY$37,141
Davenport, IA$37,141
Tucson, AZ$37,121
Saint Petersburg, FL$37,098
Tampa, FL$37,090
Evansville, IN$37,066
Port Arthur, TX$37,066
Bradenton, FL$37,051
Santa Fe, NM$36,980
Orlando, FL$36,910
Clearwater, FL$36,898
Canton, OH$36,816
La Crosse, WI$36,816
Albuquerque, NM$36,792
Newport News, VA$36,789
High Point, NC$36,777
Ogden, UT$36,761
Corpus Christi, TX$36,730
Norfolk, VA$36,706
Laramie, WY$36,706
Rock Island, IL$36,683
Saginaw, MI$36,675
Jacksonville, FL$36,671
Salisbury, NC$36,663
Boise, ID$36,656
Moline, IL$36,636
Fort Myers, FL$36,624
Memphis, TN$36,616
Tulsa, OK$36,597
Waterloo, IA$36,573
Spartanburg, SC$36,534
Lincoln, NE$36,515
Fort Wayne, IN$36,507
Provo, UT$36,503
Cedar Falls, IA$36,456
San Antonio, TX$36,440
Greensboro, NC$36,425
South Bend, IN$36,421
Savannah, GA$36,378
Muskegon, MI$36,362
Birmingham, AL$36,358
Winston Salem, NC$36,339
Lake Charles, LA$36,245
Anderson, IN$36,237
Lexington, KY$36,225
Augusta, GA$36,213
Greenville, SC$36,213
Lima, OH$36,182
Wichita, KS$36,178
Tuscaloosa, AL$36,178
Columbia, SC$36,143
Springfield, OH$36,135
Asheville, NC$36,072
Bloomington, IN$36,045
Knoxville, TN$35,904
Shreveport, LA$35,900
Wilmington, NC$35,849
Roanoke, VA$35,849
Topeka, KS$35,779
Frankfort, KY$35,775
Oklahoma City, OK$35,748
Chillicothe, OH$35,732
Longview, TX$35,728
Melbourne, FL$35,724
Sioux Falls, SD$35,662
Mobile, AL$35,658
Terre Haute, IN$35,642
Altoona, PA$35,618
Amarillo, TX$35,591
Killeen, TX$35,579
Fayetteville, AR$35,548
Chattanooga, TN$35,536
Sioux City, IA$35,501
Idaho Falls, ID$35,493
Lynchburg, VA$35,462
Gainesville, FL$35,411
Portsmouth, OH$35,392
Little Rock, AR$35,384
Lafayette, LA$35,368
Youngstown, OH$35,368
Daytona Beach, FL$35,345
Clarksville, TN$35,341
Pensacola, FL$35,337
Temple, TX$35,334
Hopkinsville, KY$35,219
Erie, PA$35,212
Florence, SC$35,196
Charleston, WV$35,133
Great Falls, MT$35,114
Macon, GA$35,059
Tallahassee, FL$35,055
Fayetteville, NC$35,047
Waco, TX$35,039
Helena, MT$35,012
Pine Bluff, AR$34,997
Vincennes, IN$34,949
Lubbock, TX$34,934
Alamogordo, NM$34,910
Twin Falls, ID$34,875
Rapid City, SD$34,863
Jackson, MS$34,793
Huntington, WV$34,790
Greenville, MS$34,789
Parkersburg, WV$34,749
Montgomery, AL$34,742
Wichita Falls, TX$34,703
Springfield, MO$34,703
Biloxi, MS$34,683
Monroe, LA$34,644
Johnstown, PA$34,617
Sumter, SC$34,601
Columbus, GA$34,597
Pascagoula, MS$34,523
Abilene, TX$34,523
Kingsport, TN$34,421
Albany, GA$34,421
Gulfport, MS$34,409
Alexandria, LA$34,280
Fort Smith, AR$34,182
El Paso, TX$34,077
Las Cruces, NM$33,901
Harlingen, TX$33,801
Pocatello, ID$33,795
Florence, AL$33,744
Brownsville, TX$33,736
Mcallen, TX$33,654
Dothan, AL$33,599
Columbus, MS$33,367
Altus, OK$33,184
Lawton, OK$33,110
Pierre, SD$32,969
What Skills Can Increase a Jail Cook's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Commitment (Mentioned in 8.4% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Food Service (Mentioned in 3.6% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home.
Safety Regulations (Mentioned in 1.59% Job Postings): Regulations or rules that are put in place to ensure a product, event, etc., is safe and not dangerous.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Jail Cook's salary.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 19%.
Coaching: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
For Jail Cook roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Software & Networking
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Jail Cook positions in Retail & Wholesale or Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Jail Cook as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Jail Cook
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals
$50,872
$24.0
30%
Software & Networking
$48,916
$24.0
25%
Construction
$46,959
$23.0
20%
Energy & Utilities
$45,002
$22.0
15%
Business Services
$43,046
$21.0
10%
How Education impacts a Jail Cook's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Jail Cooks enter the field with a No Diploma degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Jail Cook with a No Diploma is between
$38,281
and $41,120).
Jail Cook Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Jail Cook's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$34,752
Average$39,133/year
$43,407
$2,896
Average$3,261/month
$3,617
$668
Average$753/week
$835
$17
Average$19/hour
$21
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$43,407
$3,617
$835
$21
Average
$39,133
$3,261
$753
$19
25th Percentile
$34,752
$2,896
$668
$17
Salaries of Jobs related to Jail Cook
Jail Nurse$117,696
Jail Rn$75,299
Jail Officer$53,737
Jail Administrator$50,798
Jail Clerk$50,726
Cook III$42,451
Assistant Cook/Cook$39,199
Cook II$37,682
Cook I$33,835
Line Cook$33,835
Cook$33,630
Salary Trends for Jail Cook
Salaries for a Jail Cook can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $41,397 in 2023
to around $40,918 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Jail Cook salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Jail Cook Over Time
$???
$41,397
$41,160
$40,918
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$41,397
2024
$41,160
2025
$40,918
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Jail Cook
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Jail Cook
Here are companies hiring for Jail Cook and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Jail Cook
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Jail Cook?
The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Jail Cook roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
