A Banquet 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 Banquet Cook Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Banquet 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:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $55,509
Early Career (1-2 years): $56,051
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $56,810
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $58,208
Expert (over 8 years): $61,341
Levels
Salary
Entry Level Banquet Cook
$55,509
Intermediate Level Banquet Cook
$56,051
Senior Level Banquet Cook
$56,810
Specialist Level Banquet Cook
$58,208
Expert Level Banquet Cook
$61,341
$55,5090 yr
$56,051< 2 yrs
$56,8102-4 yrs
$58,2085-8 yrs
$61,341> 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph
What Am I Worth?
How Do Banquet 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 Banquet Cooks.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $64,968.
California: $64,721.
Massachusetts: $63,859.
District of Columbia$64,968
California$64,721
Massachusetts$63,859
Washington$63,624
New Jersey$63,601
Alaska$63,519
Connecticut$62,709
New York$62,380
Hawaii$61,330
Rhode Island$60,837
Maryland$60,502
Minnesota$60,045
Colorado$59,869
Illinois$59,810
Oregon$59,587
Delaware$59,423
New Hampshire$59,320
Virginia$59,088
Pennsylvania$58,414
Nevada$58,073
North Dakota$57,962
Michigan$57,786
Wisconsin$57,721
Vermont$57,592
Texas$57,234
Maine$57,211
Arizona$57,175
Ohio$57,134
Georgia$56,595
Indiana$56,325
Wyoming$56,272
Utah$56,190
Iowa$56,154
Kansas$55,873
Louisiana$55,791
North Carolina$55,761
Missouri$55,750
Florida$55,521
Montana$55,398
Nebraska$55,280
Kentucky$55,216
South Carolina$54,981
Tennessee$54,834
Idaho$54,776
New Mexico$54,347
Oklahoma$54,253
Alabama$53,907
South Dakota$53,326
Arkansas$53,009
West Virginia$52,839
Mississippi$52,329
Top Paying Cities for Banquet 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: $74,010
San Francisco: $73,200
Oakland: $71,657
San Jose, CA$74,010
San Francisco, CA$73,200
Oakland, CA$71,657
New York, NY$67,561
Paramus, NJ$66,739
Queens Village, NY$66,736
Passaic, NJ$66,681
Bergenfield, NJ$66,675
Stamford, CT$66,546
Huntington, NY$66,522
Newark, NJ$66,089
Bridgeport, CT$65,965
Vallejo, CA$65,848
New Brunswick, NJ$65,825
Petaluma, CA$65,789
Middlesex, NJ$65,678
Somerset, NJ$65,637
Santa Cruz, CA$65,560
Boston, MA$65,203
Monterey, CA$64,997
Seattle, WA$64,862
Santa Rosa, CA$64,850
Los Angeles, CA$64,833
Juneau, AK$64,680
Washington, DC$64,616
Orange, CA$64,407
Santa Ana, CA$64,252
Long Beach, CA$64,193
Anaheim, CA$64,182
Anchorage, AK$64,152
Santa Maria, CA$63,976
Everett, WA$63,964
Danbury, CT$63,758
Bremerton, WA$63,677
Tacoma, WA$63,466
New Suffolk, NY$63,465
Sacramento, CA$63,448
Santa Barbara, CA$63,384
Trenton, NJ$63,319
San Diego, CA$63,319
Brockton, MA$63,254
Fairbanks, AK$63,111
Lompoc, CA$62,961
Lowell, MA$62,914
Ventura, CA$62,902
Nashua, NH$62,891
Stockton, CA$62,885
Modesto, CA$62,456
Poughkeepsie, NY$62,327
Olympia, WA$62,216
Kennewick, WA$62,216
New Haven, CT$62,192
Lawrence, MA$61,981
Hartford, CT$61,922
Riverside, CA$61,911
New Bedford, MA$61,852
Richland, WA$61,852
Bakersfield, CA$61,770
San Bernardino, CA$61,746
New Britain, CT$61,741
Atlantic City, NJ$61,741
New London, CT$61,717
Norwich, CT$61,699
Portsmouth, NH$61,688
Boulder, CO$61,563
Portland, OR$61,482
Worcester, MA$61,477
Minneapolis, MN$61,295
Philadelphia, PA$61,212
Honolulu, HI$61,019
Saint Paul, MN$60,991
Vineland, NJ$60,978
Providence, RI$60,808
Chicago, IL$60,637
Bellingham, WA$60,567
Springfield, MA$60,520
Baltimore, MD$60,502
Chico, CA$60,356
Pittsfield, MA$60,197
Manchester, NH$60,086
Spokane, WA$59,828
Denver, CO$59,822
Albany, NY$59,546
Troy, NY$59,523
Nassau, NY$59,460
Schenectady, NY$59,399
Wilmington, DE$59,352
Burlington, VT$59,270
Salem, OR$59,247
Portland, ME$59,065
Yakima, WA$59,006
Rochester, MN$58,824
Reno, NV$58,795
Fresno, CA$58,795
Milwaukee, WI$58,742
Detroit, MI$58,683
Ann Arbor, MI$58,673
Allentown, PA$58,666
Colorado Springs, CO$58,566
Syracuse, NY$58,537
Carson City, NV$58,537
Houston, TX$58,455
Eugene, OR$58,425
Gary, IN$58,355
Springfield, OR$58,308
Bismarck, ND$58,296
Galveston, TX$58,255
Medford, OR$58,167
Fort Collins, CO$58,144
Concord, NH$58,114
Austin, TX$58,097
Mesa, AZ$57,973
Reading, PA$57,968
Phoenix, AZ$57,962
Dallas, TX$57,944
Saint Cloud, MN$57,888
Madison, WI$57,809
Utica, NY$57,651
Rochester, NY$57,557
Des Moines, IA$57,551
Raleigh, NC$57,545
Atlanta, GA$57,457
Battle Creek, MI$57,440
Salt Lake City, UT$57,422
Lancaster, PA$57,334
Harrisburg, PA$57,252
Kansas City, MO$57,193
Champaign, IL$57,181
Kansas City, KS$57,181
Fort Worth, TX$57,175
Columbus, OH$57,165
Boca Raton, FL$57,152
Pittsburgh, PA$57,129
Richmond, VA$57,105
Indianapolis, IN$57,093
Cleveland, OH$57,087
Las Vegas, NV$57,017
Cincinnati, OH$57,017
Petersburg, VA$56,929
Huntsville, AL$56,841
Lansing, MI$56,802
Lebanon, PA$56,794
Pueblo, CO$56,788
Appleton, WI$56,771
Buffalo, NY$56,747
Dayton, OH$56,730
Racine, WI$56,718
Charlotte, NC$56,712
Saint Louis, MO$56,694
York, PA$56,659
Elkhart, IN$56,659
Gastonia, NC$56,648
Billings, MT$56,634
Beaumont, TX$56,618
Lorain, OH$56,606
Benton Harbor, MI$56,595
Toledo, OH$56,583
Binghamton, NY$56,553
Rock Hill, SC$56,548
Rockford, IL$56,518
Springfield, IL$56,495
Elyria, OH$56,489
Fargo, ND$56,489
Flagstaff, AZ$56,448
Fort Lauderdale, FL$56,413
Duluth, MN$56,377
Miami, FL$56,377
Cheyenne, WY$56,336
Grand Forks, ND$56,336
Bangor, ME$56,207
Cedar Rapids, IA$56,143
Durham, NC$56,118
Louisville, KY$56,113
Grand Rapids, MI$56,102
Hialeah, FL$56,096
Casper, WY$56,014
Scranton, PA$55,943
New Orleans, LA$55,926
Virginia Beach, VA$55,920
Akron, OH$55,890
Peoria, IL$55,814
Sarasota, FL$55,802
Nashville, TN$55,761
Omaha, NE$55,761
Green Bay, WI$55,761
Baton Rouge, LA$55,732
Charleston, SC$55,720
Jamestown, NY$55,691
Davenport, IA$55,691
Tucson, AZ$55,662
Saint Petersburg, FL$55,626
Tampa, FL$55,615
Evansville, IN$55,579
Port Arthur, TX$55,579
Bradenton, FL$55,556
Santa Fe, NM$55,450
Orlando, FL$55,345
Clearwater, FL$55,327
Canton, OH$55,204
La Crosse, WI$55,204
Albuquerque, NM$55,169
Newport News, VA$55,163
High Point, NC$55,145
Ogden, UT$55,122
Corpus Christi, TX$55,075
Norfolk, VA$55,040
Laramie, WY$55,040
Rock Island, IL$55,004
Saginaw, MI$54,993
Jacksonville, FL$54,987
Salisbury, NC$54,975
Boise, ID$54,963
Moline, IL$54,934
Fort Myers, FL$54,916
Memphis, TN$54,905
Tulsa, OK$54,875
Waterloo, IA$54,840
Spartanburg, SC$54,781
Lincoln, NE$54,752
Fort Wayne, IN$54,740
Provo, UT$54,734
Cedar Falls, IA$54,664
San Antonio, TX$54,641
Greensboro, NC$54,617
South Bend, IN$54,611
Savannah, GA$54,547
Muskegon, MI$54,523
Birmingham, AL$54,517
Winston Salem, NC$54,489
Lake Charles, LA$54,347
Anderson, IN$54,335
Lexington, KY$54,318
Augusta, GA$54,300
Greenville, SC$54,300
Lima, OH$54,253
Wichita, KS$54,247
Tuscaloosa, AL$54,247
Columbia, SC$54,195
Springfield, OH$54,183
Asheville, NC$54,089
Bloomington, IN$54,048
Knoxville, TN$53,837
Shreveport, LA$53,831
Wilmington, NC$53,755
Roanoke, VA$53,755
Topeka, KS$53,649
Frankfort, KY$53,642
Oklahoma City, OK$53,602
Chillicothe, OH$53,579
Longview, TX$53,573
Melbourne, FL$53,567
Sioux Falls, SD$53,473
Mobile, AL$53,467
Terre Haute, IN$53,444
Altoona, PA$53,408
Amarillo, TX$53,367
Killeen, TX$53,350
Fayetteville, AR$53,303
Chattanooga, TN$53,285
Sioux City, IA$53,232
Idaho Falls, ID$53,221
Lynchburg, VA$53,174
Gainesville, FL$53,097
Portsmouth, OH$53,068
Little Rock, AR$53,056
Lafayette, LA$53,033
Youngstown, OH$53,033
Daytona Beach, FL$52,998
Clarksville, TN$52,992
Pensacola, FL$52,986
Temple, TX$52,982
Hopkinsville, KY$52,810
Erie, PA$52,798
Florence, SC$52,775
Charleston, WV$52,681
Great Falls, MT$52,651
Macon, GA$52,569
Tallahassee, FL$52,563
Fayetteville, NC$52,552
Waco, TX$52,540
Helena, MT$52,499
Pine Bluff, AR$52,477
Vincennes, IN$52,405
Lubbock, TX$52,381
Alamogordo, NM$52,346
Twin Falls, ID$52,293
Rapid City, SD$52,276
Jackson, MS$52,170
Huntington, WV$52,166
Greenville, MS$52,164
Parkersburg, WV$52,105
Montgomery, AL$52,094
Wichita Falls, TX$52,035
Springfield, MO$52,035
Biloxi, MS$52,006
Monroe, LA$51,947
Johnstown, PA$51,906
Sumter, SC$51,883
Columbus, GA$51,877
Pascagoula, MS$51,765
Abilene, TX$51,765
Kingsport, TN$51,613
Albany, GA$51,613
Gulfport, MS$51,595
Alexandria, LA$51,402
Fort Smith, AR$51,255
El Paso, TX$51,096
Las Cruces, NM$50,832
Harlingen, TX$50,683
Pocatello, ID$50,674
Florence, AL$50,598
Brownsville, TX$50,586
Mcallen, TX$50,463
Dothan, AL$50,381
Columbus, MS$50,032
Altus, OK$49,759
Lawton, OK$49,647
Pierre, SD$49,436
What Skills Can Increase a Banquet Cook's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Presentation (Mentioned in 8.53% Job Postings): Presentation conveys information from a speaker to an audience. Presentations are typically demonstrations, introduction, lecture, or speech meant to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, build goodwill, or present a new idea/product.
Food Service (Mentioned in 2.44% Job Postings): The foodservice or catering industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home.
Food Handling (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): Food Handling means one or more operations of food production, manufacture, offering or displaying for sale, storage, preserving, wrapping, transportation, delivery, importation, exportation, or the licensing or approval for any of such activities.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Presentation
8.53%
Food Service
2.44%
Food Handling
1.35%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
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 Banquet Cook's salary.
Instructing: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Production Orders: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Customer Satisfaction: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Instructing
$66,306
13%
Production Orders
$65,719
12%
Customer Satisfaction
$65,132
11%
Coaching
$63,959
9%
SOP
$63,959
9%
Procurement
$63,959
9%
Get Latest Data
Banquet Cook Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Banquet Cook roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Insurance
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 45% above the average.
In contrast, Banquet Cook positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Banquet Cook as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Banquet Cook
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$85,083
$41.0
45%
Insurance
$79,215
$38.0
35%
MFG Durable
$64,545
$31.0
10%
How Education impacts a Banquet Cook's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Banquet 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 Banquet Cook with a No Diploma is between
$55,899
and $61,197).
Banquet Cook Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for Banquet Cook
No Diploma1.8%
High School14.5%
Associates52.7%
Bachelors27.3%
Masters3.6%
Doctorate3.6%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
1.8%
High School
14.5%
Associates
52.7%
Bachelors
27.3%
Masters
3.6%
Doctorate
3.6%
view as graph
Banquet Cook Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Banquet 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.
Salaries for a Banquet Cook can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $50,695 in 2023
to around $49,776 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Banquet Cook salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Banquet Cook Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$50,695
2024
$50,415
2025
$49,776
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$50,695
2024
$50,415
2025
$49,776
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Banquet Cook
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Banquet Cook
Here are companies hiring for Banquet Cook and their salaries, click below for more details.
N
$97,099/per year
New York Police Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$95,962/per year
State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$94,615/per year
US Department of Transportation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$93,141/per year
US General Services Administration
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$92,342/per year
Los Angeles County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
D
$92,011/per year
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,967/per year
US Department of Commerce
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$91,755/per year
US Department of Energy
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
F
$91,673/per year
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$90,276/per year
Naval Sea Systems Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,975/per year
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$88,721/per year
San Diego County
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
T
$88,664/per year
The TTB
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
L
$87,569/per year
Lutheran Services
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
M
$85,066/per year
Maryland Inc
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$83,780/per year
State University of New York
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$82,969/per year
New York State
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
P
$82,703/per year
Puerto Rico Department of Education
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
U
$80,526/per year
US Central Command
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
H
$80,286/per year
Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$79,270/per year
Air Force Reserve
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
A
$78,505/per year
American Automobile Association (AAA)
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$76,678/per year
State of Florida - Department of Health
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
N
$75,183/per year
New York State Department
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
S
$75,106/per year
State University System of Florida
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit
the United States
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