SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — Hot Springs
Hot Springs, AR · 4 metro areas compared
In Hot Springs, AR the median wage is $32,140.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +2.0%
- Openings per year
- 69,700
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Hot Springs, AR.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Hot Springs, AR the median wage is $32,140. That is 14.2% lower than the national median of $37,450. Pay ranges from under $27,130 at the tenth percentile to more than $46,950 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $28,440 to $35,140.
Employment stands at 180, or 4.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Fayetteville records the highest median at $33,430. Of the 182 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 144th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $27,130 | −27.6% |
| 25th | $28,440 | −24.1% |
| Median (50th) | $32,140 | −14.2% |
| 75th | $35,140 | −6.2% |
| 90th | $46,950 | +25.4% |
| Mean | $34,230 | −8.6% |
Other metro areas in Arkansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville | $33,430 | 1,290 | |
| 2 | Jonesboro | $32,720 | 240 | |
| 3 | Little Rock | $30,480 | 1,400 | |
| 4 | Fort Smith | $29,380 | 560 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Hot Springs run 14.3% below the national average, so the median of $32,140 goes as far as $37,503 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$32,140as reported by BLSLocal price level
85.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$37,503US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $32,140 a year, 14.2% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $27,130 to $46,950 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 180 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fayetteville, at $33,430.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Hot Springs, AR?
The median annual wage is $32,140, or $15.45 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $37,450, so pay in Hot Springs, AR is 14.2% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Hot Springs, AR earns more than $46,950 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $27,130 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Fayetteville, at $33,430 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 180 jobs in this occupation in Hot Springs, AR. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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