SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — Huntsville
Huntsville, AL · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Huntsville, AL is $28,110 a year, trailing the national median of $37,450 by 24.9%.
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 Huntsville, AL.
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
Median pay for this occupation in Huntsville, AL is $28,110 a year, trailing the national median of $37,450 by 24.9%. Half of workers earn between $22,300 and $35,570. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $21,240 and the ninetieth at $39,310.
The area has 800 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 3.0 of every thousand jobs. Tuscaloosa leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $31,700. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 374th of 389 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $21,240 | −43.3% |
| 25th | $22,300 | −40.5% |
| Median (50th) | $28,110 | −24.9% |
| 75th | $35,570 | −5.0% |
| 90th | $39,310 | +5.0% |
| Mean | $29,130 | −22.2% |
Other metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuscaloosa | $31,700 | 470 | |
| 2 | Auburn | $29,680 | 260 | |
| 3 | Mobile | $28,580 | 630 | |
| 4 | Dothan | $27,860 | 180 | |
| 5 | Daphne | $27,270 | 320 | |
| 6 | Birmingham | $27,220 | 2,460 | |
| 7 | Florence | $27,210 | 240 | |
| 8 | Anniston | $23,960 | 210 | |
| 9 | Decatur | $23,650 | 220 | |
| 10 | Montgomery | $23,080 | 750 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Huntsville run 6.9% below the national average, so the median of $28,110 goes as far as $30,193 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 19.4% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$28,110as reported by BLSLocal price level
93.1US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$30,193US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $28,110 a year, 24.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $21,240 to $39,310 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 800 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Tuscaloosa, at $31,700.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Huntsville, AL?
The median annual wage is $28,110, or $13.51 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 Huntsville, AL is 24.9% 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 Huntsville, AL earns more than $39,310 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $21,240 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 Tuscaloosa, at $31,700 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 800 jobs in this occupation in Huntsville, AL. 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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