Occupation · SOC 35-2013

Cooks, Private Household: pay and where the jobs are

What cooks, private household earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.

BLS May 2025 data · methodology

National pay, May 2025

$47,940 median annual wage

Mean (average) annual wage
$53,680
Median hourly wage
$23.05
Mean hourly wage
$25.81
Employment
1,100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 35-2013.

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See where your pay falls among cooks, private household nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

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How much do cooks, private household make?

The median annual wage for cooks, private household was $47,940 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,090 and the highest-paid 10% more than $91,130. As an hourly rate, the median is $23.05. About 1,100 people work in this occupation nationwide.

Pay ladder

What each step of the pay range for cooks, private household looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.

Cooks, Private Household: pay at each percentile
StepAnnualHourlyMonthly grossMonthly after federal tax & FICA
10th percentile$36,090$17.35$3,008$2,598
25th percentile$40,630$19.54$3,386$2,902
Median$47,940$23.05$3,995$3,392
75th percentile$55,450$26.66$4,621$3,895
90th percentile$91,130$43.81$7,594$6,078

Cooks, Private Household: pay by state

1 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.

Annual wages by state, May 2025, with after-tax and price-adjusted estimates
StateEmploymentMedian10th pct.90th pct.Median after tax*In national prices†
New York140$37,440$36,310$42,860$30,645$28,396

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 35-2013. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).

Sources

  1. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  2. OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.