Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
Less than 5 years
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Restaurant cooks prepare food in restaurant settings and can pursue opportunities across the country. This occupation employs about 1,460,000 people nationally, indicating a large workforce and many possible workplaces and environments. The national median annual salary of $36,830 reflects typical earnings across all locations, with some states and metro areas offering higher pay. Projected employment growth of 14.9% suggests that openings are expected to expand over time, supported by an estimated 251,000 annual openings. A notable feature of this career path is that it typically does not require a formal educational credential, which may appeal to people looking to enter the workforce quickly. Success in this role draws on a wide mix of skills, including physical strength and stamina, fine motor abilities, customer service, leadership, project management, and creativity and innovation, along with mathematics, mechanical, science, and interpersonal skills.
Restaurant cooks earn a national median annual salary of $36,830, but pay can vary by location. Several states show higher median salaries, including Washington at $46,800, Massachusetts at $45,600, California at $44,880, and New York at $43,680. Among the top metro areas, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA stands out with a median salary of $47,170, followed by San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA at $46,030 and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH at $45,830. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ offers $43,740, and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV offers $42,920. These figures show that earnings can be meaningfully higher than the national median in specific states and metro areas. For people considering this career, comparing local wages to the national median can help clarify potential earning opportunities when deciding where to work.
Restaurant cooks have a sizable national employment base of about 1,460,000 workers, indicating that this is a widely available occupation. Projected employment growth of 14.9% points to an expanding job market over the projection period. In addition, there are an estimated 251,000 annual openings, which can include new positions as well as openings created when workers change jobs or leave the labor force. This combination of a large existing workforce, notable projected growth, and substantial yearly openings suggests that job seekers may encounter a steady flow of opportunities in different locations and settings. Because the occupation does not require a formal educational credential, people may be able to pursue these openings without long lead times for schooling, focusing instead on building relevant skills and experience to compete for available roles.
Geography can make a measurable difference for restaurant cooks in both pay and opportunity scores. Among states, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington have some of the strongest CareerGPS opportunity scores, ranging from 56.29 in Washington to 67.38 in California. Median salaries in these states span from $41,600 in Colorado to $46,800 in Washington, all above the national median of $36,830. Employment levels also vary, from 29,570 in Massachusetts to 152,250 in California. At the metro level, opportunity scores are even higher in some areas. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA posts an opportunity score of 77.42 with a median salary of $47,170, and New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ has a score of 77.27 with 69,250 employed. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also combine higher-than-national pay with strong opportunity scores, giving location-focused job seekers several options to compare.
Restaurant cooks typically enter the field without a formal educational credential requirement. This opens the door to candidates who prefer to build their careers through hands-on learning, experience, and skill development rather than formal schooling. Even without a formal education requirement, a broad and demanding skill set is valuable in this occupation. Physical strength and stamina and fine motor skills support the physical aspects of the work, while interpersonal and customer service skills help in working with colleagues and serving guests. Leadership and project management skills can become increasingly important as cooks take on more responsibility for coordinating tasks and people. Creativity and innovation support the development and presentation of food, while mathematics, mechanical, and science skills contribute to the more technical aspects of the role. Focusing on these areas can help candidates strengthen their competitiveness and grow within the occupation over time.
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