Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 100 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$29,453
BLS median: $36,450
DOL Median Salary
$29,453
From 100 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$36,450
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
53
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
448,260
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$29,453
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$18,325$27,706$29,453$34,819$41,600

This figure comes from 100 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$36,450
BLS Survey Salary Range
$26,800$30,530$36,450$42,860$48,320

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 448,260 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 19.2% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1REGENCY GRANDE NURSING REHABILITATION CENTER, LL$36,0465-1.1%
2Cosden LLC DBA Palatine Nursing Home$34,8196-4.5%
3Senior Management Inc$28,08014-23%
4Arkansas Early Learning, Inc.N/A5N/A

View all companies hiring Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
New Jersey$38,189-13.3%1
Nebraska$35,433-0.6%14
California$33,550-26.6%11
Illinois$32,344-11.2%1
Florida$30,717-13.8%2
Washington$29,016-39.9%1
Wisconsin$28,080-25.8%15
Utah$25,314-32.9%1
Texas$23,254-29.1%1

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 92% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
Senior Management IncNone$28,080
Cosden LLC DBA Palatine Nursing HomeHigh School$34,819
Arkansas Early Learning, Inc.Not specifiedN/A
REGENCY GRANDE NURSING REHABILITATION CENTER, LLHigh School$36,046

Salary by Industry

Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)

The highest-paying industry for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is Health Care and Social Assistance at $31,296.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria make?

Based on 100 DOL filings, the median salary for a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria is $29,453, ranging from $27,706 to $34,819.

What is the highest salary for a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?

The 90th percentile salary is $48,320 according to BLS data.

Does this data include all Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

Salary Check

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.