What are the main factors that influence a Lead Cook's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Lead Cook's salary?

A Lead Cook's salary grows with experience: starting around $36,954 for beginners, reaching about $37,826 at mid-level, and approach $39,870 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Lead Cook?

Lead Cook salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Lead Cook roles are District of Columbia $42,694, California $42,532, Massachusetts $41,965. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Lead Cook roles make?

Salaries for Lead Cook level roles vary by specialization: Lead Cook - Casino: $43,284; Cook III: $42,428; Assistant Cook/Cook: $39,181; Cook - Institution: $37,967; Cook II: $37,673.

How do different companies affect a Lead Cook's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Lead Cook roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Lead Cook Salary in the United States

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

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a Lead Cook in the United States is $38,560 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $19.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $47,069
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34,687 to $43,014
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $31,161

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Lead Cook Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$43,014	$3,585	$827	$21
Average	$38,560	$3,213	$742	$19
25th Percentile	$34,687	$2,891	$667	$17

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Key Factors That Influence Lead Cook Salaries

A Lead 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 Lead Cook Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Lead 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): $36,954
Early Career (1-2 years): $37,245
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $37,826
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $38,691
Expert (over 8 years): $39,870

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Lead Cook	$36,954
Intermediate Level Lead Cook	$37,245
Senior Level Lead Cook	$37,826
Specialist Level Lead Cook	$38,691
Expert Level Lead Cook	$39,870

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Lead 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 Lead Cooks. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $42,694.
California: $42,532.
Massachusetts: $41,965.

District of Columbia $42,694 California $42,532 Massachusetts $41,965 Washington $41,811 New Jersey $41,796 Alaska $41,742 Connecticut $41,209 New York $40,993

Hawaii $40,303 Rhode Island $39,979 Maryland $39,760 Minnesota $39,459 Colorado $39,343 Illinois $39,305 Oregon $39,158 Delaware $39,050

New Hampshire $38,982 Virginia $38,830 Pennsylvania $38,387 Nevada $38,163 North Dakota $38,090 Michigan $37,974 Wisconsin $37,932 Vermont $37,847

Texas $37,612 Maine $37,596 Arizona $37,573 Ohio $37,546 Georgia $37,191 Indiana $37,014 Wyoming $36,979 Utah $36,925

Iowa $36,902 Kansas $36,717 Louisiana $36,663 North Carolina $36,644 Missouri $36,636 Florida $36,486 Montana $36,405 Nebraska $36,328

Kentucky $36,285 South Carolina $36,131 Tennessee $36,035 Idaho $35,996 New Mexico $35,715 Oklahoma $35,653 Alabama $35,425 South Dakota $35,044

Arkansas $34,835 West Virginia $34,724 Mississippi $34,388

Top Paying Cities for Lead 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: $48,636
San Francisco: $48,158
Oakland: $47,090

San Jose, CA $48,636

San Francisco, CA $48,158

Oakland, CA $47,090

New York, NY $44,688

Queens Village, NY $44,398

Paramus, NJ $44,090

Passaic, NJ $44,051

Bergenfield, NJ $44,013

Stamford, CT $43,955

Huntington, NY $43,916

Newark, NJ $43,666

Bridgeport, CT $43,589

New Brunswick, NJ $43,461

Vallejo, CA $43,380

Middlesex, NJ $43,357

Somerset, NJ $43,322

Petaluma, CA $43,234

Santa Cruz, CA $43,083

Boston, MA $43,006

Monterey, CA $42,814

Fairbanks, AK $42,787

Los Angeles, CA $42,713

Washington, DC $42,694

Seattle, WA $42,625

Santa Rosa, CA $42,617

Juneau, AK $42,505

Orange, CA $42,378

Anchorage, AK $42,308

Anaheim, CA $42,281

Santa Ana, CA $42,224

Nassau, NY $42,200

Long Beach, CA $42,185

Danbury, CT $42,173

Santa Maria, CA $42,042

Everett, WA $42,035

Bremerton, WA $41,846

Trenton, NJ $41,772

Sacramento, CA $41,757

San Diego, CA $41,738

Brockton, MA $41,722

Tacoma, WA $41,707

Santa Barbara, CA $41,653

Lowell, MA $41,499

New Suffolk, NY $41,483

Nashua, NH $41,437

Lompoc, CA $41,375

Ventura, CA $41,337

Stockton, CA $41,325

New Haven, CT $41,248

Atlantic City, NJ $41,148

Hartford, CT $41,063

Modesto, CA $41,044

Poughkeepsie, NY $40,959

New Britain, CT $40,939

Olympia, WA $40,885

Kennewick, WA $40,885

New London, CT $40,878

Norwich, CT $40,866

Lawrence, MA $40,847

Bakersfield, CA $40,739

Riverside, CA $40,685

New Bedford, MA $40,685

Richland, WA $40,646

Portsmouth, NH $40,616

Vineland, NJ $40,608

San Bernardino, CA $40,577

Boulder, CO $40,469

Worcester, MA $40,438

Portland, OR $40,403

Saint Paul, MN $40,357

Minneapolis, MN $40,357

Philadelphia, PA $40,303

Honolulu, HI $40,099

Springfield, MA $39,964

Providence, RI $39,960

Chicago, IL $39,848

Bellingham, WA $39,802

Baltimore, MD $39,760

Chico, CA $39,663

Wilmington, DE $39,598

Pittsfield, MA $39,559

Manchester, NH $39,486

Spokane, WA $39,316

Denver, CO $39,312

Albany, NY $39,131

Troy, NY $39,116

Schenectady, NY $39,035

Burlington, VT $38,950

Portland, ME $38,815

Salem, OR $38,784

Yakima, WA $38,776

Ann Arbor, MI $38,765

Rochester, MN $38,657

Fresno, CA $38,637

Reno, NV $38,637

Milwaukee, WI $38,603

Detroit, MI $38,564

Allentown, PA $38,553

Carson City, NV $38,549

Houston, TX $38,491

Colorado Springs, CO $38,487

Syracuse, NY $38,468

Eugene, OR $38,394

Bismarck, ND $38,348

Gary, IN $38,348

Galveston, TX $38,348

Springfield, OR $38,317

Medford, OR $38,225

Fort Collins, CO $38,209

Austin, TX $38,179

Mesa, AZ $38,098

Phoenix, AZ $38,090

Dallas, TX $38,078

Reading, PA $38,055

Saint Cloud, MN $38,040

Concord, NH $38,005

Madison, WI $37,990

Utica, NY $37,885

Raleigh, NC $37,855

Las Vegas, NV $37,851

Rochester, NY $37,824

Des Moines, IA $37,820

Atlanta, GA $37,758

Battle Creek, MI $37,747

Salt Lake City, UT $37,735

Lancaster, PA $37,677

Champaign, IL $37,670

Harrisburg, PA $37,623

Durham, NC $37,589

Kansas City, MO $37,585

Kansas City, KS $37,577

Fort Worth, TX $37,573

Boca Raton, FL $37,558

Cleveland, OH $37,554

Columbus, OH $37,546

Pittsburgh, PA $37,542

Richmond, VA $37,527

Indianapolis, IN $37,519

Cincinnati, OH $37,469

Petersburg, VA $37,411

Billings, MT $37,326

Lansing, MI $37,326

Huntsville, AL $37,326

Lebanon, PA $37,323

Dayton, OH $37,319

Pueblo, CO $37,319

Appleton, WI $37,307

Buffalo, NY $37,292

Racine, WI $37,272

Charlotte, NC $37,269

Saint Louis, MO $37,257

Springfield, IL $37,242

Elkhart, IN $37,234

York, PA $37,234

Gastonia, NC $37,230

Benton Harbor, MI $37,230

Beaumont, TX $37,207

Lorain, OH $37,199

Toledo, OH $37,184

Binghamton, NY $37,164

Rock Hill, SC $37,161

Rockford, IL $37,141

Fargo, ND $37,122

Elyria, OH $37,122

Flagstaff, AZ $37,095

Fort Lauderdale, FL $37,072

Miami, FL $37,049

Duluth, MN $36,987

Bangor, ME $36,937

Cedar Rapids, IA $36,894

Louisville, KY $36,875

Grand Rapids, MI $36,868

Hialeah, FL $36,864

Casper, WY $36,810

Scranton, PA $36,763

New Orleans, LA $36,752

Virginia Beach, VA $36,748

Akron, OH $36,729

Peoria, IL $36,679

Sarasota, FL $36,671

Green Bay, WI $36,644

Baton Rouge, LA $36,625

Charleston, SC $36,617

Nashville, TN $36,605

Jamestown, NY $36,598

Davenport, IA $36,598

Tucson, AZ $36,578

Cheyenne, WY $36,567

Saint Petersburg, FL $36,555

Tampa, FL $36,547

Omaha, NE $36,540

Port Arthur, TX $36,524

Evansville, IN $36,524

Bradenton, FL $36,509

Santa Fe, NM $36,439

Orlando, FL $36,401

Clearwater, FL $36,359

Canton, OH $36,278

La Crosse, WI $36,278

Grand Forks, ND $36,266

Albuquerque, NM $36,254

Tulsa, OK $36,254

Newport News, VA $36,251

High Point, NC $36,239

Ogden, UT $36,224

Corpus Christi, TX $36,193

Laramie, WY $36,170

Norfolk, VA $36,170

Rock Island, IL $36,146

Saginaw, MI $36,139

Jacksonville, FL $36,135

Salisbury, NC $36,127

Memphis, TN $36,119

Moline, IL $36,100

Fort Myers, FL $36,089

Waterloo, IA $36,038

Spartanburg, SC $36,000

Lincoln, NE $35,981

Fort Wayne, IN $35,973

Birmingham, AL $35,930

Cedar Falls, IA $35,923

Provo, UT $35,919

Springfield, OH $35,915

San Antonio, TX $35,907

Greensboro, NC $35,892

South Bend, IN $35,888

Winston Salem, NC $35,884

Boise, ID $35,873

Savannah, GA $35,846

Muskegon, MI $35,776

Lima, OH $35,730

Lake Charles, LA $35,715

Anderson, IN $35,707

Lexington, KY $35,695

Augusta, GA $35,684

Greenville, SC $35,684

Wichita, KS $35,649

Tuscaloosa, AL $35,649

Columbia, SC $35,614

Bloomington, IN $35,518

Roanoke, VA $35,495

Asheville, NC $35,445

Knoxville, TN $35,379

Shreveport, LA $35,375

Wilmington, NC $35,325

Frankfort, KY $35,252

Oklahoma City, OK $35,225

Chillicothe, OH $35,209

Longview, TX $35,206

Topeka, KS $35,194

Mobile, AL $35,136

Terre Haute, IN $35,121

Erie, PA $35,117

Altoona, PA $35,098

Melbourne, FL $35,086

Amarillo, TX $35,071

Killeen, TX $35,059

Fayetteville, AR $35,028

Sioux Falls, SD $35,001

Chattanooga, TN $34,978

Idaho Falls, ID $34,974

Gainesville, FL $34,893

Portsmouth, OH $34,874

Little Rock, AR $34,866

Lynchburg, VA $34,866

Lafayette, LA $34,851

Youngstown, OH $34,851

Temple, TX $34,835

Daytona Beach, FL $34,828

Clarksville, TN $34,824

Pensacola, FL $34,820

Hopkinsville, KY $34,704

Charleston, WV $34,700

Florence, SC $34,681

Sioux City, IA $34,658

Macon, GA $34,546

Tallahassee, FL $34,542

Fayetteville, NC $34,535

Waco, TX $34,527

Wichita Falls, TX $34,527

Pine Bluff, AR $34,511

Vincennes, IN $34,438

Lubbock, TX $34,423

Great Falls, MT $34,400

Alamogordo, NM $34,396

Abilene, TX $34,365

Rapid City, SD $34,315

Monroe, LA $34,315

Albany, GA $34,292

Huntington, WV $34,288

Jackson, MS $34,284

Greenville, MS $34,280

Parkersburg, WV $34,242

Montgomery, AL $34,234

Johnstown, PA $34,226

Springfield, MO $34,195

Biloxi, MS $34,176

Sumter, SC $34,095

Columbus, GA $34,091

Twin Falls, ID $34,068

Pascagoula, MS $34,018

Kingsport, TN $33,918

Gulfport, MS $33,906

Alexandria, LA $33,779

Fort Smith, AR $33,682

El Paso, TX $33,578

Helena, MT $33,528

Las Cruces, NM $33,405

Harlingen, TX $33,297

Pocatello, ID $33,262

Florence, AL $33,251

Brownsville, TX $33,243

Dothan, AL $33,181

Mcallen, TX $33,162

Columbus, MS $32,877

Altus, OK $32,699

Lawton, OK $32,626

Pierre, SD $32,487

What Skills Can Increase a Lead 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.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	8.4%
Food Service	3.6%
Safety Regulations	1.59%

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 Lead 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%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Commitment	$45,887	19%
Coaching	$42,416	10%
Merchandising	$41,645	8%
Food Safety	$41,260	7%
Leadership	$41,260	7%
Foodservice	$40,874	6%

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How Education impacts a Lead Cook's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Lead 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 Lead Cook with a No Diploma is between $38,281 and $41,120).

Lead Cook Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Lead Cook

No Diploma 2.3%

High School 43.4%

Associates 37.6%

Bachelors 15.7%

Masters 0.6%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	2.3%
High School	43.4%
Associates	37.6%
Bachelors	15.7%
Masters	0.6%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Lead Cook Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Lead 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.

Last Updated on March 01, 2026

$34,687

Average $38,560/year

$43,014

$2,891

Average $3,213/month

$3,585

$667

Average $742/week

$827

$17

Average $19/hour

$21

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$43,014	$3,585	$827	$21
Average	$38,560	$3,213	$742	$19
25th Percentile	$34,687	$2,891	$667	$17

Salaries of jobs related to Lead Cook

Salary Trends for Lead Cook

Salaries for a Lead Cook can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $40,563 in 2023 to around $40,094 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Lead Cook salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Lead Cook Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$40,563

2024

$40,331

2025

$40,094

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$40,563
2024	$40,331
2025	$40,094
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Lead Cook

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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