Cooks, All Other Salary
Cooks, All Others in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA make a median of $26,430 a year, or about $12.71 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers.
So what does $26K get you in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux’s Regional Price Parity (85.1). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cooks, all others
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What this looks like in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux
Pay for cooks, all other in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,102/month, which is 58.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.1 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 15% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, all others.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, all others in metros near Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $31K | , |
| Baton Rouge | $29K | , |
| Lafayette | $26K | , |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $29K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
Entry-level cooks, all others (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $70K | +85% | N/A |
| Washington | $53K | +39% | 140 |
| Nevada | $51K | +36% | 320 |
| New Jersey | $46K | +22% | 280 |
| Indiana | $44K | +18% | 30 |
| North Dakota | $44K | +17% | 60 |
| Missouri | $44K | +17% | 70 |
| Colorado | $43K | +15% | 100 |
| New York | $43K | +14% | 1,090 |
| Georgia | $43K | +14% | 340 |
| California | $43K | +14% | 3,990 |
| Montana | $43K | +13% | 200 |
| Oregon | $42K | +11% | 450 |
| Arizona | $42K | +11% | 550 |
| Vermont | $41K | +9% | 160 |
| Hawaii | $40K | +6% | 100 |
| Florida | $40K | +5% | 710 |
| Connecticut | $37K | -1% | 220 |
| Michigan | $37K | -2% | 300 |
| Minnesota | $37K | -2% | 80 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -3% | 2,060 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | -4% | 660 |
| Illinois | $36K | -5% | N/A |
| Virginia | $36K | -5% | 480 |
| Ohio | $35K | -6% | 180 |
| Wisconsin | $34K | -10% | 50 |
| Mississippi | $33K | -11% | N/A |
| Texas | $32K | -15% | 4,650 |
| Maryland | $32K | -15% | 610 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -17% | 150 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -18% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -23% | 430 |
| Iowa | $26K | -31% | 210 |
Showing 1–10 of 33 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cooks, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 58.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,102/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, all others in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, all others typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,515/month. At HUD’s $1,102/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, all other a high-paying job in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $26K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 15% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux compare to the national average for cooks, all others?
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.1), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, all others make in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA?
The median is $26,430 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,250, and experienced cooks, all others can clear $38,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,879/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,102/month, which eats 58.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooks, all other salary go in Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux?
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, all other salary is worth about $31,058 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.