DOL Filings vs BLS Survey
What Employers File with DOL
This figure comes from 7,383 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
This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 1,452,130 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.
Salary Distribution
Top Paying Employers for Cooks, Restaurant
Ranked by median salary from DOL filingsSalary by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Median | vs National | Filings | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, NE | $36,900 | +30.6% | 18 | 12 |
| Seattle, WA | $36,795 | +30.3% | 30 | 21 |
| San Jose, CA | $36,650 | +29.8% | 11 | 6 |
| San Francisco, CA | $36,400 | +28.9% | 27 | 23 |
| Thornton, CO | $33,600 | +19% | 14 | 6 |
| Vancouver, WA | $32,739 | +15.9% | 17 | 11 |
| Beaverton, OR | $32,739 | +15.9% | 17 | 7 |
| San Diego, CA | $32,240 | +14.1% | 56 | 39 |
| PASADENA, CA | $32,074 | +13.6% | 11 | 8 |
| New York, NY | $31,741 | +12.4% | 25 | 24 |
| Portland, OR | $30,900 | +9.4% | 51 | 34 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $30,618 | +8.4% | 11 | 2 |
| New York, NE | $30,306 | +7.3% | 47 | 37 |
| TUSTIN, CA | $29,494 | +4.4% | 17 | 6 |
| Denver, CO | $28,954 | +2.5% | 19 | 16 |
| STUDIO CITY, CA | $28,538 | +1% | 17 | 4 |
| Orlando, FL | $28,392 | +0.5% | 11 | 6 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $27,872 | -1.3% | 13 | 9 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $27,768 | -1.7% | 73 | 57 |
| CLEVELAND, OH | $27,029 | -4.3% | 10 | 9 |
| Washington, DC | $26,894 | -4.8% | 18 | 13 |
| Chicago, IL | $26,749 | -5.3% | 55 | 38 |
| Towson, MA | $24,690 | -12.6% | 10 | 4 |
| Dothan, AL | $22,204 | -21.4% | 18 | 1 |
Salary by State
| State | Median | vs National | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $34,487 | -6.2% | 2 |
| Washington | $33,426 | -25.7% | 113 |
| Rhode Island | $33,280 | -14.5% | 1 |
| Hawaii | $32,916 | -26.4% | 4 |
| Nebraska | $32,074 | -12.8% | 239 |
| Massachusetts | $31,990 | -30.9% | 205 |
| New Jersey | $31,980 | -16% | 24 |
| New York | $31,741 | -20.4% | 70 |
| Nevada | $30,115 | -19% | 8 |
| Maryland | $30,014 | -19.9% | 27 |
| North Dakota | $29,827 | -17.3% | 1 |
| Wisconsin | $29,557 | -20% | 21 |
| Florida | $29,141 | -19.7% | 114 |
| Arkansas | $29,120 | -1.2% | 25 |
| Oregon | $29,000 | -23.8% | 169 |
| Colorado | $28,920 | -26.2% | 208 |
| Connecticut | $28,912 | -24% | 9 |
| California | $28,891 | -34.8% | 624 |
| Virginia | $28,850 | -21.1% | 43 |
| New Hampshire | $28,579 | -26.8% | 1 |
| Delaware | $28,402 | -22.9% | 4 |
| Minnesota | $28,247 | -26.1% | 8 |
| Ohio | $27,770 | -20.1% | 62 |
| Maine | $27,331 | -39.1% | 4 |
| Idaho | $27,040 | -22.5% | 7 |
| District of Columbia | $26,894 | -40.5% | 18 |
| Michigan | $26,790 | -26.7% | 111 |
| Illinois | $26,749 | -27% | 106 |
| Oklahoma | $26,541 | -13.3% | 9 |
| Missouri | $26,239 | -25.7% | 10 |
| Georgia | $26,187 | -25.4% | 24 |
| Utah | $26,104 | -28.5% | 27 |
| Pennsylvania | $26,042 | -26.3% | 17 |
| Texas | $25,200 | -26% | 37 |
| South Carolina | $25,000 | -30% | 9 |
| South Dakota | $23,962 | -31.8% | 1 |
| North Carolina | $23,462 | -33.4% | 19 |
| Tennessee | $23,317 | -34.9% | 10 |
| Arizona | $23,307 | -38.6% | 12 |
| Kentucky | $22,995 | -25.7% | 6 |
| Alabama | $22,568 | -25% | 40 |
| Indiana | $21,913 | -37.5% | 14 |
| Iowa | $19,600 | -45.1% | 2 |
| Louisiana | $19,376 | -32.9% | 14 |
| West Virginia | $18,055 | -36.8% | 1 |
Salary Trend - DOL Data
Education Requirements
From PERM filingsFor Cooks, Restaurant positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 99% required no formal degree.
Education by Top Employer
Most common minimum education from PERM filings| Employer | Most Common Education | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| LA COSECHA XIX, LLC | None | $21,840 |
| LA COSECHA XIII, LLC | None | $21,840 |
| LA COSECHA XII, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| LA COSECHA XI, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| LA COSECHA XIV, LLC | None | $22,204 |
| La Cosecha II, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| LA COSECHA X, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| LA COSECHA XVI, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| LA COSECHA XV, LLC | None | $22,568 |
| QSRRP LLC DBA BOATHOUSE ASIAN GRILL | None | $27,643 |
Salary by Industry
Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)The highest-paying industry for Cooks, Restaurant is Retail Trade at $32,752. The lowest-paying industry with significant hiring is Accommodation and Food Services at $32,659.
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on 7,383 DOL filings, the median salary for a Cooks, Restaurant is $28,246, ranging from $24,960 to $32,198.
The 90th percentile salary is $47,340 according to BLS data.
Based on DOL filings, Las Vegas, NE offers the highest median at $36,900.
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, Restaurant positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.
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