GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Best States to Be a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a cooks, institution and cafeteria salary goes furthest in Alaska — a $48,580 BLS median worth $47,460 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 122.8).
Which US states are best for a cooks, institution and cafeteria after cost of living and tax?
For a cooks, institution and cafeteria, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Alaska #1: a $48,580 BLS median becomes $47,460 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 122.8). Louisiana ranks last ($28,456, index 73.6). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Alaska ranks #1 of 51 states for a cooks, institution and cafeteria. Index 100 = the average state; 122.8 means pay goes 22.8% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedCooks, Institution and Cafeteria — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $48,580 | — | 102.4 | $47,460 | 122.8 |
| 2 | Washington | $49,670 | — | 107.0 | $46,415 | 120.1 |
| 3 | Vermont | $46,370 | $1,135 | 98.0 | $46,178 | 119.5 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $46,570 | $1,146 | 102.3 | $44,411 | 114.9 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $39,490 | — | 89.0 | $44,391 | 114.8 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $45,370 | — | 104.2 | $43,556 | 112.7 |
| 7 | Maine | $43,490 | $1,354 | 97.0 | $43,417 | 112.3 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $46,120 | $1,150 | 103.6 | $43,403 | 112.3 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $47,790 | $2,170 | 105.8 | $43,137 | 111.6 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $43,460 | $1,525 | 98.6 | $42,521 | 110.0 |
| 11 | Delaware | $44,080 | $1,770 | 99.8 | $42,392 | 109.7 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $47,770 | $2,123 | 110.0 | $41,515 | 107.4 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $36,730 | — | 88.6 | $41,463 | 107.3 |
| 14 | California | $46,390 | $880 | 110.7 | $41,104 | 106.3 |
| 15 | New York | $45,880 | $1,918 | 107.9 | $40,735 | 105.4 |
| 16 | Oregon | $44,520 | $3,092 | 103.4 | $40,081 | 103.7 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $44,520 | $912 | 108.8 | $40,079 | 103.7 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $38,650 | $941 | 94.1 | $40,075 | 103.7 |
| 19 | Colorado | $42,500 | $1,210 | 103.1 | $40,067 | 103.7 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $45,450 | $1,627 | 109.9 | $39,875 | 103.2 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $36,940 | — | 92.7 | $39,853 | 103.1 |
| 22 | Nebraska | $36,390 | $817 | 90.1 | $39,480 | 102.1 |
| 23 | Nevada | $39,430 | — | 100.0 | $39,438 | 102.0 |
| 24 | Ohio | $36,720 | $227 | 92.8 | $39,335 | 101.8 |
| 25 | Iowa | $35,810 | $1,321 | 87.8 | $39,299 | 101.7 |
| 26 | Arizona | $39,660 | $517 | 100.7 | $38,880 | 100.6 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $36,470 | $648 | 92.2 | $38,847 | 100.5 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $35,570 | — | 91.9 | $38,718 | 100.2 |
| 29 | Montana | $37,150 | $1,054 | 94.6 | $38,139 | 98.7 |
| 30 | Maryland | $41,380 | $1,633 | 105.0 | $37,869 | 98.0 |
| 31 | Missouri | $34,900 | $759 | 90.8 | $37,593 | 97.3 |
| 32 | Indiana | $35,980 | $1,049 | 93.3 | $37,427 | 96.8 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $36,140 | $994 | 94.3 | $37,260 | 96.4 |
| 34 | Michigan | $36,870 | $1,320 | 96.2 | $36,947 | 95.6 |
| 35 | Utah | $38,200 | $1,738 | 98.9 | $36,881 | 95.4 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $34,960 | $560 | 93.7 | $36,694 | 94.9 |
| 37 | Texas | $35,360 | — | 97.1 | $36,432 | 94.3 |
| 38 | Idaho | $35,600 | $907 | 95.5 | $36,330 | 94.0 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $36,540 | $1,122 | 97.6 | $36,300 | 93.9 |
| 40 | Virginia | $37,890 | $1,379 | 101.1 | $36,112 | 93.4 |
| 41 | Illinois | $37,440 | $1,712 | 100.0 | $35,743 | 92.5 |
| 42 | Georgia | $35,090 | $1,245 | 96.3 | $35,148 | 90.9 |
| 43 | Florida | $36,250 | — | 103.4 | $35,053 | 90.7 |
| 44 | Kansas | $31,950 | $998 | 90.1 | $34,366 | 88.9 |
| 45 | Kentucky | $31,550 | $1,131 | 90.2 | $33,739 | 87.3 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $30,240 | $971 | 86.9 | $33,667 | 87.1 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $29,740 | $757 | 89.5 | $32,384 | 83.8 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $29,270 | $853 | 87.8 | $32,350 | 83.7 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $27,390 | $400 | 87.0 | $31,040 | 80.3 |
| 50 | Alabama | $27,120 | $1,091 | 88.8 | $29,304 | 75.8 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $25,490 | $390 | 88.2 | $28,456 | 73.6 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Alaska, a $48,580 salary is worth about $47,460 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $48,580 · BEA cost of living 102.4 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $54,839, a $7,379 gain over Alaska.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $54,839 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $53,700 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $53,423 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $53,411 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $53,251 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $53,244 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $52,879 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $52,676 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $52,411 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $51,958 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $51,727 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $51,665 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a cooks, institution and cafeteria?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Alaska is the best state for a cooks, institution and cafeteria: a BLS median of $48,580 is worth $47,460 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 102.4), an index of 122.8 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Washington has the highest headline BLS median for a cooks, institution and cafeteria at $49,670, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #2 of 51 on real pay (index 120.1). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a cooks, institution and cafeteria salary go least far?
- Louisiana ranks last of 51 states for a cooks, institution and cafeteria: a $25,490 BLS median is worth only $28,456 after tax and cost of living (index 73.6). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a cooks, institution and cafeteria is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.