SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — Lafayette
Lafayette, LA · 9 metro areas compared
The median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Lafayette, LA is $26,400 per year, substantially below the national median of $37,450 — a gap of 29.5%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Lafayette, LA is $26,400 per year, substantially below the national median of $37,450 — a gap of 29.5%. Pay ranges from under $18,620 at the tenth percentile to more than $37,240 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $21,170 to $30,720.
Employment stands at 470, or 2.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Lake Charles leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $32,460. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 330th of 350 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $18,620 | −50.3% |
| 25th | $21,170 | −43.5% |
| Median (50th) | $26,400 | −29.5% |
| 75th | $30,720 | −18.0% |
| 90th | $37,240 | −0.6% |
| Mean | $27,000 | −27.9% |
Other metro areas in Louisiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Charles | $32,460 | 280 | |
| 2 | Slidell | $30,410 | 160 | |
| 3 | New Orleans | $29,370 | 1,050 | |
| 4 | Shreveport | $28,630 | 260 | |
| 5 | Baton Rouge | $24,740 | 1,240 | |
| 6 | Houma | $23,480 | 420 | |
| 7 | Monroe | $22,980 | 300 | |
| 8 | Alexandria | $21,690 | 280 | |
| 9 | Hammond | $20,680 | 190 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Lafayette run 11.8% below the national average, so the median of $26,400 goes as far as $29,932 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 20.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$26,400as reported by BLSLocal price level
88.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$29,932US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $26,400 a year, 29.5% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $18,620 to $37,240 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 470 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Lake Charles, at $32,460.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Lafayette, LA?
The median annual wage is $26,400, or $12.69 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 Lafayette, LA is 29.5% 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 Lafayette, LA earns more than $37,240 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $18,620 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 Lake Charles, at $32,460 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 470 jobs in this occupation in Lafayette, LA. 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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