Cooks and Food Preparation Workers

SOC 35-2000

The median annual wage for Cooks and Food Preparation Workers is $34,020, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $34,010, and an estimated 3,546,860 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +25.7% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of +6.7% after inflation.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Cooks and Food Preparation Workers has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Cooks and Food Preparation Workers, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year	Median (nominal)	In 2023 $ (real)	Employment
2023	$34,020	$34,020	3,546,860
2022	$30,590	$31,849	3,521,670
2021	$29,100	$32,723	3,281,610
2020	$27,070	$31,870	2,977,730

Nominal change

+25.7%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

+6.7%

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$23,310

25th Pct

$28,460

Median

$34,020

75th Pct

$37,680

90th Pct

$44,920

Related Occupations in Food Preparation & Serving

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

Chefs and Head Cooks $58,920 Cooks, Private Household $42,590 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $38,520 Fast Food and Counter Workers $37,379 Cooks, All Other $35,920 Cooks, Restaurant $35,780 Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $35,320 Cooks, Short Order $34,130

All Food Preparation & Serving occupations →

Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers