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

A Cafeteria Cook's salary grows with experience: starting around $36,133 for beginners, reaching about $36,816 at mid-level, and approach $39,114 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Cafeteria Cook?

Cafeteria Cook salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cafeteria Cook roles are District of Columbia $42,456, California $42,295, Massachusetts $41,731. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cafeteria Cook roles make?

Salaries for Cafeteria Cook level roles vary by specialization: Cafeteria Supervisor: $83,674; Cafeteria Monitor: $38,055; Cook: $33,632; Cafeteria Aide: $32,384; Cafeteria Worker: $31,353.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Cafeteria 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.

Cafeteria Cook Salary in the United States

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

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cafeteria Cook in the United States is $38,345 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $47,152
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34,597 to $42,955
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $31,185

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Cafeteria Cook Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$42,955	$3,580	$826	$21
Average	$38,345	$3,195	$737	$18
25th Percentile	$34,597	$2,883	$665	$17

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Key Factors That Influence Cafeteria Cook Salaries

A Cafeteria 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 Cafeteria Cook Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cafeteria 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): $36,133
Early Career (1-2 years): $36,247
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $36,816
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $37,833
Expert (over 8 years): $39,114

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Cafeteria Cook	$36,133
Intermediate Level Cafeteria Cook	$36,247
Senior Level Cafeteria Cook	$36,816
Specialist Level Cafeteria Cook	$37,833
Expert Level Cafeteria Cook	$39,114

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $42,456.
California: $42,295.
Massachusetts: $41,731.

District of Columbia $42,456

California $42,295

Massachusetts $41,731

Washington $41,578

New Jersey $41,563

Alaska $41,509

Connecticut $40,980

New York $40,765

Hawaii $40,079

Rhode Island $39,757

Maryland $39,538

Minnesota $39,239

Colorado $39,124

Illinois $39,085

Oregon $38,940

Delaware $38,832

New Hampshire $38,765

Virginia $38,614

Pennsylvania $38,173

Nevada $37,950

North Dakota $37,878

Michigan $37,763

Wisconsin $37,720

Vermont $37,636

Texas $37,402

Maine $37,387

Arizona $37,364

Ohio $37,337

Georgia $36,984

Indiana $36,808

Wyoming $36,773

Utah $36,720

Iowa $36,697

Kansas $36,512

Louisiana $36,459

North Carolina $36,440

Missouri $36,432

Florida $36,282

Montana $36,202

Nebraska $36,125

Kentucky $36,083

South Carolina $35,930

Tennessee $35,834

Idaho $35,795

New Mexico $35,516

Oklahoma $35,454

Alabama $35,228

South Dakota $34,848

Arkansas $34,641

West Virginia $34,530

Mississippi $34,196

Top Paying Cities for Cafeteria 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: $48,365
San Francisco: $47,890
Oakland: $46,827

San Jose, CA $48,365

San Francisco, CA $47,890

Oakland, CA $46,827

New York, NY $44,438

Queens Village, NY $44,151

Paramus, NJ $43,844

Passaic, NJ $43,806

Bergenfield, NJ $43,767

Stamford, CT $43,710

Huntington, NY $43,672

Newark, NJ $43,422

Bridgeport, CT $43,346

New Brunswick, NJ $43,219

Vallejo, CA $43,139

Middlesex, NJ $43,116

Somerset, NJ $43,081

Petaluma, CA $42,993

Santa Cruz, CA $42,843

Boston, MA $42,767

Monterey, CA $42,575

Fairbanks, AK $42,548

Los Angeles, CA $42,475

Washington, DC $42,456

Seattle, WA $42,387

Santa Rosa, CA $42,379

Juneau, AK $42,268

Orange, CA $42,142

Anchorage, AK $42,073

Anaheim, CA $42,046

Santa Ana, CA $41,988

Nassau, NY $41,965

Long Beach, CA $41,950

Danbury, CT $41,938

Santa Maria, CA $41,808

Everett, WA $41,800

Bremerton, WA $41,612

Trenton, NJ $41,540

Sacramento, CA $41,524

San Diego, CA $41,505

Brockton, MA $41,490

Tacoma, WA $41,474

Santa Barbara, CA $41,421

Lowell, MA $41,267

New Suffolk, NY $41,252

Nashua, NH $41,206

Lompoc, CA $41,145

Ventura, CA $41,106

Stockton, CA $41,095

New Haven, CT $41,018

Atlantic City, NJ $40,918

Hartford, CT $40,834

Modesto, CA $40,815

Poughkeepsie, NY $40,730

New Britain, CT $40,711

Olympia, WA $40,658

Kennewick, WA $40,658

New London, CT $40,650

Norwich, CT $40,638

Lawrence, MA $40,619

Bakersfield, CA $40,512

Riverside, CA $40,458

New Bedford, MA $40,458

Richland, WA $40,420

Portsmouth, NH $40,389

Vineland, NJ $40,382

San Bernardino, CA $40,351

Boulder, CO $40,243

Worcester, MA $40,213

Portland, OR $40,178

Saint Paul, MN $40,132

Minneapolis, MN $40,132

Philadelphia, PA $40,079

Honolulu, HI $39,875

Springfield, MA $39,741

Providence, RI $39,737

Chicago, IL $39,626

Bellingham, WA $39,580

Baltimore, MD $39,538

Chico, CA $39,442

Wilmington, DE $39,377

Pittsfield, MA $39,339

Manchester, NH $39,266

Spokane, WA $39,097

Denver, CO $39,093

Albany, NY $38,913

Troy, NY $38,898

Schenectady, NY $38,817

Burlington, VT $38,733

Portland, ME $38,598

Salem, OR $38,568

Yakima, WA $38,560

Ann Arbor, MI $38,549

Rochester, MN $38,441

Fresno, CA $38,422

Reno, NV $38,422

Milwaukee, WI $38,388

Detroit, MI $38,349

Allentown, PA $38,338

Carson City, NV $38,334

Houston, TX $38,276

Colorado Springs, CO $38,273

Syracuse, NY $38,253

Eugene, OR $38,181

Bismarck, ND $38,135

Gary, IN $38,135

Galveston, TX $38,135

Springfield, OR $38,104

Medford, OR $38,012

Fort Collins, CO $37,996

Austin, TX $37,966

Mesa, AZ $37,885

Phoenix, AZ $37,878

Dallas, TX $37,866

Reading, PA $37,843

Saint Cloud, MN $37,828

Concord, NH $37,793

Madison, WI $37,778

Utica, NY $37,674

Raleigh, NC $37,644

Las Vegas, NV $37,640

Rochester, NY $37,613

Des Moines, IA $37,609

Atlanta, GA $37,548

Battle Creek, MI $37,536

Salt Lake City, UT $37,525

Lancaster, PA $37,467

Champaign, IL $37,460

Harrisburg, PA $37,414

Durham, NC $37,379

Kansas City, MO $37,375

Kansas City, KS $37,368

Fort Worth, TX $37,364

Boca Raton, FL $37,348

Cleveland, OH $37,345

Columbus, OH $37,337

Pittsburgh, PA $37,333

Richmond, VA $37,318

Indianapolis, IN $37,310

Cincinnati, OH $37,260

Petersburg, VA $37,203

Billings, MT $37,118

Lansing, MI $37,118

Huntsville, AL $37,118

Lebanon, PA $37,115

Dayton, OH $37,111

Pueblo, CO $37,111

Appleton, WI $37,099

Buffalo, NY $37,084

Racine, WI $37,065

Charlotte, NC $37,061

Saint Louis, MO $37,049

Springfield, IL $37,034

Elkhart, IN $37,026

York, PA $37,026

Gastonia, NC $37,022

Benton Harbor, MI $37,022

Beaumont, TX $36,999

Lorain, OH $36,992

Toledo, OH $36,976

Binghamton, NY $36,957

Rock Hill, SC $36,953

Rockford, IL $36,934

Fargo, ND $36,915

Elyria, OH $36,915

Flagstaff, AZ $36,888

Fort Lauderdale, FL $36,865

Miami, FL $36,842

Duluth, MN $36,781

Bangor, ME $36,731

Cedar Rapids, IA $36,689

Louisville, KY $36,670

Grand Rapids, MI $36,662

Hialeah, FL $36,658

Casper, WY $36,605

Scranton, PA $36,559

New Orleans, LA $36,547

Virginia Beach, VA $36,543

Akron, OH $36,524

Peoria, IL $36,474

Sarasota, FL $36,466

Green Bay, WI $36,440

Baton Rouge, LA $36,420

Charleston, SC $36,413

Nashville, TN $36,401

Jamestown, NY $36,394

Davenport, IA $36,394

Tucson, AZ $36,374

Cheyenne, WY $36,363

Saint Petersburg, FL $36,351

Tampa, FL $36,344

Omaha, NE $36,336

Port Arthur, TX $36,321

Evansville, IN $36,321

Bradenton, FL $36,305

Santa Fe, NM $36,236

Orlando, FL $36,198

Clearwater, FL $36,156

Canton, OH $36,075

La Crosse, WI $36,075

Grand Forks, ND $36,064

Albuquerque, NM $36,052

Tulsa, OK $36,052

Newport News, VA $36,049

High Point, NC $36,037

Ogden, UT $36,022

Corpus Christi, TX $35,991

Laramie, WY $35,968

Norfolk, VA $35,968

Rock Island, IL $35,945

Saginaw, MI $35,937

Jacksonville, FL $35,933

Salisbury, NC $35,926

Memphis, TN $35,918

Moline, IL $35,899

Fort Myers, FL $35,887

Waterloo, IA $35,838

Spartanburg, SC $35,799

Lincoln, NE $35,780

Fort Wayne, IN $35,772

Birmingham, AL $35,730

Cedar Falls, IA $35,723

Provo, UT $35,719

Springfield, OH $35,715

San Antonio, TX $35,707

Greensboro, NC $35,692

South Bend, IN $35,688

Winston Salem, NC $35,684

Boise, ID $35,673

Savannah, GA $35,646

Muskegon, MI $35,577

Lima, OH $35,531

Lake Charles, LA $35,516

Anderson, IN $35,508

Lexington, KY $35,496

Augusta, GA $35,485

Greenville, SC $35,485

Wichita, KS $35,450

Tuscaloosa, AL $35,450

Columbia, SC $35,416

Bloomington, IN $35,320

Roanoke, VA $35,297

Asheville, NC $35,247

Knoxville, TN $35,182

Shreveport, LA $35,178

Wilmington, NC $35,128

Frankfort, KY $35,055

Oklahoma City, OK $35,029

Chillicothe, OH $35,013

Longview, TX $35,009

Topeka, KS $34,998

Mobile, AL $34,940

Terre Haute, IN $34,925

Erie, PA $34,921

Altoona, PA $34,902

Melbourne, FL $34,890

Amarillo, TX $34,875

Killeen, TX $34,864

Fayetteville, AR $34,833

Sioux Falls, SD $34,806

Chattanooga, TN $34,783

Idaho Falls, ID $34,779

Gainesville, FL $34,699

Portsmouth, OH $34,680

Little Rock, AR $34,672

Lynchburg, VA $34,672

Lafayette, LA $34,657

Youngstown, OH $34,657

Temple, TX $34,641

Daytona Beach, FL $34,634

Clarksville, TN $34,630

Pensacola, FL $34,626

Hopkinsville, KY $34,511

Charleston, WV $34,507

Florence, SC $34,488

Sioux City, IA $34,465

Macon, GA $34,354

Tallahassee, FL $34,350

Fayetteville, NC $34,342

Waco, TX $34,334

Wichita Falls, TX $34,334

Pine Bluff, AR $34,319

Vincennes, IN $34,246

Lubbock, TX $34,231

Great Falls, MT $34,208

Alamogordo, NM $34,204

Abilene, TX $34,173

Rapid City, SD $34,124

Monroe, LA $34,124

Albany, GA $34,101

Huntington, WV $34,097

Jackson, MS $34,093

Greenville, MS $34,089

Parkersburg, WV $34,051

Montgomery, AL $34,043

Johnstown, PA $34,035

Springfield, MO $34,005

Biloxi, MS $33,986

Sumter, SC $33,905

Columbus, GA $33,901

Twin Falls, ID $33,878

Pascagoula, MS $33,828

Kingsport, TN $33,729

Gulfport, MS $33,717

Alexandria, LA $33,591

Fort Smith, AR $33,495

El Paso, TX $33,391

Helena, MT $33,341

Las Cruces, NM $33,219

Harlingen, TX $33,111

Pocatello, ID $33,077

Florence, AL $33,065

Brownsville, TX $33,058

Dothan, AL $32,996

Mcallen, TX $32,977

Columbus, MS $32,693

Altus, OK $32,517

Lawton, OK $32,444

Pierre, SD $32,306

What Skills Can Increase a Cafeteria Cook's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 8.91% 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.
Healthcare Services (Mentioned in 5.35% Job Postings): The improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields.
HACCP (Mentioned in 3.61% Job Postings): HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement to manufacturing and consumption of the finished product.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	8.91%
Healthcare Services	5.35%
HACCP	3.61%

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 Cafeteria Cook's salary.

Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Time Management: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Assisted Living: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Coordination	$41,796	9%
Time Management	$40,646	6%
Assisted Living	$40,646	6%
Problem Solving	$40,646	6%
Coaching	$40,263	5%
Presentation	$39,879	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Cafeteria Cook's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Cafeteria 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 Cafeteria Cook with a No Diploma is between $39,539 and $41,869).

Cafeteria Cook Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cafeteria Cook

No Diploma 5.2%

High School 53.5%

Associates 30.3%

Bachelors 10.0%

Masters 0.6%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	5.2%
High School	53.5%
Associates	30.3%
Bachelors	10.0%
Masters	0.6%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a Cafeteria 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 April 01, 2026

$34,597

Average $38,345/year

$42,955

$2,883

Average $3,195/month

$3,580

$665

Average $737/week

$826

$17

Average $18/hour

$21

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$42,955	$3,580	$826	$21
Average	$38,345	$3,195	$737	$18
25th Percentile	$34,597	$2,883	$665	$17

Salaries of jobs related to Cafeteria Cook

Salary Trends for Cafeteria Cook

Salaries for a Cafeteria Cook can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $39,665 in 2023 to around $39,206 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cafeteria Cook salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cafeteria Cook Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$39,665

2024

$39,438

2025

$39,206

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$39,665
2024	$39,438
2025	$39,206
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cafeteria Cook

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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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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