SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — Indianapolis
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN · 10 metro areas compared
At $36,350, median pay for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Indianapolis, IN tracks the national median of $37,450 closely.
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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN.
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
At $36,350, median pay for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Indianapolis, IN tracks the national median of $37,450 closely. Pay ranges from under $29,640 at the tenth percentile to more than $45,590 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $31,840 to $38,680.
The area has 3,410 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.09 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Lafayette records the highest median at $38,580. Of the 621 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 575th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $29,640 | −20.9% |
| 25th | $31,840 | −15.0% |
| Median (50th) | $36,350 | −2.9% |
| 75th | $38,680 | +3.3% |
| 90th | $45,590 | +21.7% |
| Mean | $36,670 | −2.1% |
Other metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | $38,580 | 260 | |
| 2 | Bloomington | $37,230 | 480 | |
| 3 | South Bend | $37,010 | 440 | |
| 4 | Fort Wayne | $36,300 | 800 | |
| 5 | Kokomo | $36,290 | 120 | |
| 6 | Elkhart | $36,170 | 320 | |
| 7 | Michigan City | $36,100 | 120 | |
| 8 | Columbus | $35,490 | 110 | |
| 9 | Evansville | $35,180 | 520 | |
| 10 | Muncie | $34,370 | 190 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Indianapolis run 4.3% below the national average, so the median of $36,350 goes as far as $37,983 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 1.4% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$36,350as reported by BLSLocal price level
95.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$37,983US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $36,350 a year, 2.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $29,640 to $45,590 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,410 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lafayette, at $38,580.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Indianapolis, IN?
The median annual wage is $36,350, or $17.48 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 Indianapolis, IN is 2.9% 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 Indianapolis, IN earns more than $45,590 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $29,640 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 Lafayette, at $38,580 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,410 jobs in this occupation in Indianapolis, IN. 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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