Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$35,310
To
$36,790
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$42,920
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$36,790
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$46,070
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$42,590
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Cook in Washington DC
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$42,920
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$36,790
To
$46,070
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$46,070
To
$49,650
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare cook offers in Washington DC against $35,310 to $36,790.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare cook offers in Washington DC against $36,790 to $46,070.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare cook offers in Washington DC against $46,070 to $49,650.
How Washington DC Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Washington DC is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Cooks, Restaurant, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$49,000
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$48,630
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$45,880
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$44,750
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$43,550
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$43,200
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$42,590
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$40,450
Miami
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$38,300
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$36,430
How Cook Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares cook pay in Washington DC with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Corporate Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
General Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Lawyer
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$215,610
CIO
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$206,960
Cook
Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014
$42,590
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for cooks in Washington DC is $42,920. The middle market range runs from $36,790 at the 25th percentile to $46,070 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $35,310to $49,650.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,310 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $36,790 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $42,920 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $46,070 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $49,650 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Cook to BLS occupation Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014, as the public wage source for Cook.
- BLS area
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Employment estimate
- 29,670
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median cook salary in Washington DC?
The median annual salary for cooks in Washington DC is $42,920, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Cooks, Restaurant.
How much can fresher cook candidates expect in Washington DC?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For cooks in Washington DC, that range is $35,310 to $36,790. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate cook salary range in Washington DC?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For cooks in Washington DC, that range is $36,790 to $46,070.
What do senior cook candidates earn in Washington DC?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For cooks in Washington DC, that range is $46,070 to $49,650.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Cooks, Restaurant instead of only Cook?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Cook to Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Washington DC mean city limits or a metro area?
Washington DC is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 4 Apr 2026|Last updated: 9 Jul 2026
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