What is the average pay for a cook?

The mean, or average, pay for a restaurant cook is $11.40 per hour or $23,700 per year, notes the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cooks in other establishments, such as hospitals, have higher average earnings.

Short-order cooks tend to be the lowest paid type of cook with annual wages averaging $18,000, notes Indeed, while a cook foreman graces the high end of average earnings for cooks with an annual income average of $57,000.

There are a few areas and cities where cooks average higher earnings, states U.S. News and World Reports, including Nassau, County in New York; Anchorage, Alaska; San Luis Obispo, California; and Boston and Peabody in Massachusetts.