Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

35-2014 Cooks, Restaurant

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
947,060 0.8 % $11.25 $23,410 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.08 $8.96 $10.61 $12.98 $15.46
Annual Wage (2) $16,800 $18,630 $22,080 $27,000 $32,160


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 762,000 16.74 $11.12 $23,130
Traveler Accommodation 56,610 3.33 $13.36 $27,800
Limited-Service Eating Places 53,370 1.30 $9.88 $20,550
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 19,340 1.82 $12.36 $25,700
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 12,350 3.56 $10.70 $22,260

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Full-Service Restaurants 762,000 16.74 $11.12 $23,130
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 12,350 3.56 $10.70 $22,260
Traveler Accommodation 56,610 3.33 $13.36 $27,800
Gambling Industries 4,030 3.07 $12.36 $25,700
Special Food Services 11,840 2.07 $12.25 $25,470

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Facilities Support Services 40 0.03 $17.85 $37,120
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 50 0.13 $17.72 $36,870
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 130 (7) $16.47 $34,250
Management of Companies and Enterprises 170 0.01 $13.92 $28,940
Clothing Stores 80 0.01 $13.88 $28,870


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 101,930 7.26 0.98 $11.94 $24,830
Florida 76,900 10.75 1.46 $11.44 $23,790
Texas 76,380 7.41 1.00 $9.58 $19,930
New York 53,300 6.32 0.86 $13.48 $28,030
Illinois 33,970 6.09 0.83 $10.49 $21,820




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nevada 16,220 14.57 1.97 $13.96 $29,030
Florida 76,900 10.75 1.46 $11.44 $23,790
Colorado 22,770 10.45 1.42 $11.25 $23,390
Hawaii 5,860 10.15 1.38 $14.95 $31,100
Oregon 15,980 10.07 1.36 $11.81 $24,570




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 5,860 10.15 1.38 $14.95 $31,100
Nevada 16,220 14.57 1.97 $13.96 $29,030
Alaska 1,740 5.57 0.75 $13.62 $28,320
District of Columbia 4,780 7.42 1.00 $13.49 $28,060
New York 53,300 6.32 0.86 $13.48 $28,030





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 33,220 6.56 0.89 $14.27 $29,690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 25,150 6.58 0.89 $11.20 $23,290
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 21,550 6.02 0.81 $10.69 $22,240
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 18,490 7.25 0.98 $9.25 $19,240
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 16,140 7.89 1.07 $10.09 $20,980
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 15,990 6.92 0.94 $12.55 $26,100
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 15,620 9.13 1.24 $11.18 $23,250
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 15,240 8.97 1.21 $14.05 $29,230
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 14,830 6.66 0.90 $10.65 $22,150
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 14,180 8.46 1.15 $13.05 $27,150




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Panama City-Lynn Haven-Panama City Beach, FL 1,700 24.93 3.38 $9.76 $20,300
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC 2,290 20.92 2.83 $9.83 $20,440
Savannah, GA 2,690 18.39 2.49 $9.62 $20,020
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 1,320 17.97 2.43 $10.29 $21,400
Punta Gorda, FL 680 17.32 2.35 $11.34 $23,580
Barnstable Town, MA 1,610 17.22 2.33 $14.07 $29,260
Santa Fe, NM 1,010 16.87 2.28 $11.85 $24,650
Hot Springs, AR 580 16.58 2.25 $8.87 $18,440
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 2,190 16.42 2.22 $13.75 $28,590
Naples-Marco Island, FL 1,820 16.41 2.22 $13.09 $27,230




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Norwich-New London, CT-RI 1,130 8.78 1.19 $14.88 $30,950
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 8,600 4.74 0.64 $14.63 $30,420
Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 13,160 16.32 2.21 $14.48 $30,130
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 9,510 9.91 1.34 $14.47 $30,090
Anchorage, AK 920 5.50 0.74 $14.36 $29,860
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 33,220 6.56 0.89 $14.27 $29,690
Napa, CA 770 12.45 1.69 $14.26 $29,660
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division 530 6.17 0.84 $14.21 $29,560
Barnstable Town, MA 1,610 17.22 2.33 $14.07 $29,260
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 15,240 8.97 1.21 $14.05 $29,230

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 2,770 18.26 2.47 $16.02 $33,320
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 2,590 9.40 1.27 $9.34 $19,430
Low Country South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,870 17.16 2.32 $10.49 $21,820
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,790 4.70 0.64 $9.09 $18,910
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,780 7.34 0.99 $9.82 $20,420

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 1,760 24.46 3.31 $14.21 $29,560
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 330 24.17 3.27 $13.95 $29,020
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area 290 21.41 2.90 $12.55 $26,110
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 890 18.59 2.52 $12.52 $26,040
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 2,770 18.26 2.47 $16.02 $33,320

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 2,770 18.26 2.47 $16.02 $33,320
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 160 4.55 0.62 $14.91 $31,020
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 1,760 24.46 3.31 $14.21 $29,560
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 330 24.17 3.27 $13.95 $29,020
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 460 13.47 1.83 $13.70 $28,490


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012