Cooks, All Other Salary
Cooks, All Others in Missouri make a median of $43,990 a year, or about $21.15 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.97), which stretches that salary to about $49,444 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,097/month, about 36.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Missouri. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $44K get you in Missouri?
About cooks, all others
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What this looks like in Missouri
Missouri sits well above the national pay line for cooks, all other, local pay runs about 17% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,097/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Missouri
Entry-level cooks, all others (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $26K 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 Missouri numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Missouri?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,097/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Missouri?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, all others typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,991/month. At HUD’s $1,097/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Missouri?
Local pay is 17% above the national median — $44K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Missouri compare to the national average for cooks, all others?
Missouri pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, all others make in Missouri?
The median is $43,990 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,190, and experienced cooks, all others can clear $59,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Missouri?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,007/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,097/month, which eats 36.5% 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 Missouri?
Missouri has a Regional Price Parity of 88.97 (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 $49,444 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.