Cooks, All Other Salary
Cooks, All Others in Iowa make a median of $26,060 a year, or about $12.53 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $29,327 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,064/month, about 57.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Iowa. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $26K get you in Iowa?
About cooks, all others
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for cooks, all other in Iowa runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,064/month, which is 58.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level cooks, all others (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track cooks, all other salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 58.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/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 Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, all others typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,460/month. At HUD’s $1,064/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 Iowa?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $26K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for cooks, all others?
Iowa pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $29K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, all others make in Iowa?
The median is $26,060 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,340, and experienced cooks, all others can clear $43,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,820/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 58.5% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, all other salary is worth about $29,327 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.