Banquet Cook Salary in the United States

How much does a Banquet Cook make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Banquet Cook in the United States is $58,637 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

However, a Banquet Cook's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $78,719
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $51,157 to $69,149
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $44,347
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Paid Annually Paid Monthly Paid Semimonthly Paid Biweekly Paid Weekly Paid Hourly
View as table View as graph 25% $51,157 10% $44,347 90% $78,719 75% $69,149 $58,637 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Banquet Cook Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $69,149 $5,762 $1,330 $33
Average $58,637 $4,886 $1,128 $28
25th Percentile $51,157 $4,263 $984 $25
Check out Banquet Cook Job Openings in the United States
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Key Factors That Influence Banquet Cook Salaries

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): $55,445
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $55,995
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $56,765
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $58,173
  • Expert (over 8 years): $61,265
Levels Salary
Entry Level Banquet Cook$55,445
Intermediate Level Banquet Cook$55,995
Senior Level Banquet Cook$56,765
Specialist Level Banquet Cook$58,173
Expert Level Banquet Cook$61,265
$55,445 0 yr
$55,995 < 2 yrs
$56,765 2-4 yrs
$58,173 5-8 yrs
$61,265 > 8 yrs
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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: $64,923.
  • California: $64,677.
  • Massachusetts: $63,815.

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: $73,959
  • San Francisco: $73,232
  • Oakland: $71,607

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
 $66,260
13%
Production Orders
 $65,673
12%
Customer Satisfaction
 $65,087
11%
Coaching
 $63,914
9%
SOP
 $63,914
9%
Procurement
 $63,914
9%
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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
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%
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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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on January 01, 2026
$51,157
Average $58,637/year
$69,149
$4,263
Average $4,886/month
$5,762
$984
Average $1,128/week
$1,330
$25
Average $28/hour
$33
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $69,149 $5,762 $1,330 $33
Average $58,637 $4,886 $1,128 $28
25th Percentile $51,157 $4,263 $984 $25

Salaries of jobs related to Banquet Cook

Salary Trends for Banquet Cook

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
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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

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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.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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