Cooks, All Other Salary
Cooks, All Others in Wisconsin make a median of $33,760 a year, or about $16.23 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $35,789 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 52.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Wisconsin. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $34K get you in Wisconsin?
About cooks, all others
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Cooks, all other pay in Wisconsin tracks closely to the national median, $34K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,202/month, which is 50.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level cooks, all others (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $17K 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 Wisconsin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 50.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, all others typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,832/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Wisconsin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $34K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for cooks, all others?
Wisconsin pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, all others make in Wisconsin?
The median is $33,760 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,540, and experienced cooks, all others can clear $47,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,364/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 50.8% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $35,789 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.