Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
Cook/Baker salary
Average cook/baker salary
$15.79
How much does a cook/baker make?
The average cook/baker salary in the United States is $32,844. Cook/baker salaries typically range between $25,000 and $42,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for cook/bakers is $15.79 per hour.
Cook/baker salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Cook/bakers earn the highest average salary in Hawaii.
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Cook/Baker job
Level up your salary
Let Zippi find your next Cook/Baker job
Where can a Cook/Baker earn more?
Cook/Baker Salaries By Experience Level
Experience Level  | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level cook/baker | $24,600 | $11.84 |
| Mid-level cook/baker | $29,700 | $14.30 |
| Senior-level cook/baker | $35,300 | $16.99 |
Average cook/baker salary by state
Highest paying states for cook/bakers
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $47,037 | $22.61 |
| 2 | Nevada | $34,416 | $16.55 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $41,997 | $20.19 |
| 4 | Arizona | $32,663 | $15.70 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $39,345 | $18.92 |
| 6 | Oregon | $38,342 | $18.43 |
| 7 | Illinois | $33,826 | $16.26 |
| 8 | Washington | $39,094 | $18.80 |
| 9 | Colorado | $34,449 | $16.56 |
| 10 | Idaho | $33,081 | $15.90 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $33,923 | $16.31 |
| 12 | New York | $36,553 | $17.57 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $35,456 | $17.05 |
| 14 | Michigan | $30,880 | $14.85 |
| 15 | California | $36,886 | $17.73 |
| 16 | Ohio | $29,671 | $14.26 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $34,367 | $16.52 |
| 18 | Maine | $33,490 | $16.10 |
| 19 | Vermont | $34,833 | $16.75 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $31,918 | $15.35 |
| 21 | Missouri | $30,222 | $14.53 |
| 22 | Indiana | $29,173 | $14.03 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $33,253 | $15.99 |
| 24 | Alaska | $32,357 | $15.56 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $30,238 | $14.54 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $36,205 | $17.41 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $27,818 | $13.37 |
| 28 | Florida | $27,851 | $13.39 |
| 29 | Delaware | $32,134 | $15.45 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $28,593 | $13.75 |
| 31 | Utah | $29,059 | $13.97 |
| 32 | Iowa | $27,363 | $13.16 |
| 33 | Texas | $26,842 | $12.90 |
| 34 | Maryland | $30,609 | $14.72 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $27,153 | $13.05 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $27,380 | $13.16 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $25,164 | $12.10 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $28,504 | $13.70 |
| 39 | Montana | $26,778 | $12.87 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $25,193 | $12.11 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $24,857 | $11.95 |
| 42 | Virginia | $28,681 | $13.79 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $25,582 | $12.30 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $25,375 | $12.20 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $26,830 | $12.90 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $23,789 | $11.44 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $24,317 | $11.69 |
| 48 | Georgia | $24,204 | $11.64 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $22,461 | $10.80 |
| 50 | Kansas | $24,795 | $11.92 |
| 51 | Alabama | $24,188 | $11.63 |
Highest paying cities for cook/bakers
The highest-paying cities for cook/bakers are Seattle, WA, Santa Rosa, CA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $39,401 | $18.94 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa, CA | $37,861 | $18.20 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $36,222 | $17.41 |
| 4 | Colorado Springs, CO | $34,338 | $16.51 |
| 5 | Glenview, IL | $34,165 | $16.43 |
| 6 | Fargo, ND | $32,349 | $15.55 |
| 7 | Wilmington, DE | $32,341 | $15.55 |
| 8 | Crown Point, IN | $29,738 | $14.30 |
| 9 | Manassas, VA | $29,731 | $14.29 |
| 10 | Beavercreek, OH | $28,648 | $13.77 |
| 11 | Altamonte Springs, FL | $27,922 | $13.42 |
| 12 | Albuquerque, NM | $27,781 | $13.36 |
| 13 | Des Moines, IA | $27,169 | $13.06 |
| 14 | Charlotte, NC | $25,367 | $12.20 |
| 15 | Lafayette, LA | $24,481 | $11.77 |
| 16 | Canton, GA | $24,379 | $11.72 |
| 17 | Auburn, AL | $24,035 | $11.56 |
Cook/Baker salary details
A cook/baker's salary ranges from $25,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a cook/baker's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $32,844 | $2,737 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $25,000 | $2,083 | $12 |
Highest paying cook/baker jobs
The highest paying types of cook/bakers are head cook, lead cook, and banquet cook.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexican Food Cook | $31,039 | $2,587 | $14.92 | 275,588 |
| Short Order Cook | $30,734 | $2,561 | $14.78 | 176,187 |
| Line Cook, Prep Cook | $32,982 | $2,748 | $15.86 | 164,756 |
| Kitchen Cook | $31,452 | $2,621 | $15.12 | 250,354 |
| Dietary Cook | $27,365 | $2,280 | $13.16 | 191,406 |
| Grill Cook | $31,895 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 184,603 |
Top companies hiring cook/bakers now:
Which companies pay cook/bakers the most?
Cook/baker salaries at Santa Rosa City Schools and Kettering Health Network are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average cook/baker salary at companies like University of Washington and King County are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa City Schools | $37,367 | $17.96 |
| 2 | Kettering Health Network | $37,162 | $17.87 |
| 3 | University of Washington | $36,276 | $17.44 |
| 4 | King County | $35,162 | $16.90 |
| 5 | PCC Community Markets | $34,125 | $16.41 |
| 6 | Kern Community College District | $33,845 | $16.27 |
| 7 | Medstar Health | $33,803 | $16.25 |
| 8 | SAGE Dining Services | $33,198 | $15.96 |
| 9 | Elior North America | $33,007 | $15.87 |
| 10 | Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County | $32,690 | $15.72 |
| 11 | Rane LLC | $32,453 | $15.60 |
| 12 | Ess | $32,440 | $15.60 |
| 13 | Buena Vista University | $32,310 | $15.53 |
| 14 | Panera Bread | $31,830 | $15.30 |
| 15 | Highgate Hotels | $31,561 | $15.17 |
| 16 | Northside Hospital | $31,360 | $15.08 |
| 17 | HCR ManorCare | $31,234 | $15.02 |
| 18 | Aramark | $31,054 | $14.93 |
| 19 | Loma Linda University Health | $30,730 | $14.77 |
| 20 | ProMedica Toledo Hospital | $30,462 | $14.65 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Cook/Baker salary by industry
The average cook/baker salary varies across industries:
- The average cook/baker salary in the hospitality industry is $32,857, the highest of any industry.
- The average cook/baker salary in the finance industry is $32,530.
- Cook/bakers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $31,856, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for cook/bakers
| Rank | Industry | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $32,857 | $15.80 |
| 2 | Technology | $32,530 | $15.64 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $32,475 | $15.61 |
| 4 | Retail | $31,943 | $15.36 |
| 5 | Health Care | $31,856 | $15.32 |
High Paying Cook/Baker Jobs
Cook/Baker salary trends
The average cook/baker salary has risen by $7,663 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average cook/baker earned $25,181 annually, but today, they earn $32,844 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for cook/bakers over the last decade.
Compare cook/baker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average cook/baker salary over time
Compare cook/baker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Cook/Baker salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,800 | $15.79 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $31,700 | $15.24 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $30,300 | $14.55 | +5.1% |
| 2022 | $28,700 | $13.81 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $27,500 | $13.24 | +4.3% |
Recently added cook/baker salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bistro Boudin | Cooks/Kitchen Staff-Baker's Hall | San Francisco, CA | 12/15/2024 | $37,712 |
| Bettendorf Community School District | Nutrition Services/Cook-Baker Floater | Bode, IA | 12/13/2024 | $35,855 |
| Adventist Health System | Production Cook/Baker | Noma, FL | 12/11/2024 | $33,392 |
| Carroll County Schools | Ccms ~ Cook/Baker | Carrollton, KY | 12/11/2024 | $26,818 |
| Pioneercare | Back Up Cook/Baker | Fergus Falls, MN | 12/11/2024 | $35,479 |
| Lifespace Communities | Cook/Baker | Austin, TX | 12/10/2024 | $35,416 |
| Lincoln County School District | Cook/Baker | Kentucky | 12/10/2024 | $27,841 |
| Clay | Cook/Baker-Clay County High School | Manchester, KY | 12/08/2024 | $25,044 |
| QRB-Grace Management Inc. | Senior Living Cook/Baker | Orono, ME | 12/06/2024 | $37,566 |
| Vacaville Unified School District | Cook/Baker: Child Nutrition, Job No | Vacaville, CA | 11/24/2024 | $43,201 |
Cook/Baker salary FAQs
Search for cook/baker jobs