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SOC 35-2012 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Cooks, Institution and CafeteriaSaginaw

Saginaw, MI · 10 metro areas compared

$35,060 /year
$16.86per hour
210jobs in area
6.4%vs US median

At $35,060, median pay for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Saginaw, MI tracks the national median of $37,450 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $37,45010TH$29,140MEDIAN$35,06075TH$37,75090TH$46,260

Salary overview

At $35,060, median pay for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Saginaw, MI tracks the national median of $37,450 closely. Pay ranges from under $29,140 at the tenth percentile to more than $46,260 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $29,780 to $37,750.

The area has 210 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.92 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Ann Arbor records the highest median at $40,250. Of the 282 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 251st.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Saginaw, MI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$29,140−22.2%
25th$29,780−20.5%
Median (50th)$35,060−6.4%
75th$37,750+0.8%
90th$46,260+23.5%
Mean$36,100−3.6%

Other metro areas in Michigan

Median annual wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Ann Arbor$40,250610
2Traverse City$38,780270
3Battle Creek$38,580260
4Jackson$38,360270
5Grand Rapids$37,8001,790
6Detroit$37,3604,910
7Midland$36,870140
8Kalamazoo$36,510410
9Niles$36,180270
10Lansing$35,970710

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Saginaw run 3.8% below the national average, so the median of $35,060 goes as far as $36,445 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 2.7% below the national median in real terms.

Published median

$35,060as reported by BLS

Local price level

96.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$36,445US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $35,060 a year, 6.4% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $29,140 to $46,260 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 210 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Ann Arbor, at $40,250.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Saginaw, MI?

The median annual wage is $35,060, or $16.86 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 Saginaw, MI is 6.4% 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 Saginaw, MI earns more than $46,260 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $29,140 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 Ann Arbor, at $40,250 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 210 jobs in this occupation in Saginaw, MI. 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.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Saginaw, MI (2025): $35,060 Median | Salary Explorer