Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in Bowling Green, KY make a median of $31,550 a year, or about $15.17 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.18), which stretches that salary to about $34,986 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,153/month, about 53.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Bowling Green?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bowling Green’s Regional Price Parity (90.18). 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, institution and cafeterias
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What this looks like in Bowling Green
Pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Bowling Green runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,153/month, which is 53% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, institution and cafeterias.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, institution and cafeterias in metros near Bowling Green, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $37K | $40K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $36K | $39K |
| Paducah | $35K | $41K |
| Elizabethtown | $30K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bowling Green, KY
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $50K | +33% | 9,780 |
| Alaska | $49K | +30% | 1,430 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +28% | 7,430 |
| Hawaii | $48K | +28% | 1,570 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | +24% | 1,190 |
| California | $46K | +24% | 31,660 |
| Vermont | $46K | +24% | 1,330 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +23% | 4,500 |
| New York | $46K | +23% | 17,670 |
| District of Columbia | $45K | +21% | 1,500 |
| New Hampshire | $45K | +21% | 1,720 |
| Oregon | $45K | +19% | 7,150 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +19% | 7,490 |
| Delaware | $44K | +18% | 2,680 |
| Maine | $43K | +16% | 1,790 |
| Minnesota | $43K | +16% | 7,890 |
| Colorado | $43K | +13% | 9,440 |
| Maryland | $41K | +10% | 3,370 |
| Arizona | $40K | +6% | 7,170 |
| North Dakota | $39K | +5% | 1,820 |
| Nevada | $39K | +5% | 1,650 |
| Wisconsin | $39K | +3% | 9,890 |
| Utah | $38K | +2% | 5,610 |
| Virginia | $38K | +1% | 11,170 |
| Illinois | $37K | -0% | 22,840 |
| Montana | $37K | -1% | 2,290 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -1% | 1,570 |
| Michigan | $37K | -2% | 13,500 |
| South Dakota | $37K | -2% | 2,120 |
| Ohio | $37K | -2% | 23,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | -2% | 24,490 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -3% | 3,160 |
| Nebraska | $36K | -3% | 4,410 |
| Florida | $36K | -3% | 25,100 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -3% | 11,170 |
| Indiana | $36K | -4% | 11,130 |
| Iowa | $36K | -4% | 8,860 |
| Idaho | $36K | -5% | 3,650 |
| Tennessee | $36K | -5% | 10,680 |
| Texas | $35K | -6% | 24,740 |
| Georgia | $35K | -6% | 8,220 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -7% | 7,850 |
| Missouri | $35K | -7% | 13,130 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 7,570 |
| Kentucky | $32K | -16% | 11,540 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -19% | 6,530 |
| West Virginia | $30K | -21% | 4,420 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -22% | 10,790 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -27% | 6,420 |
| Alabama | $27K | -28% | 8,780 |
| Louisiana | $25K | -32% | 5,740 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cooks, institution and cafeteria salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, institution and cafeteria afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bowling Green?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 53% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/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, institution and cafeterias in Bowling Green?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,535/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, institution and cafeteria a high-paying job in Bowling Green?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $32K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Bowling Green compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
Bowling Green pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in Bowling Green, KY?
The median is $31,550 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,580, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $38,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Bowling Green?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,177/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 53% 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, institution and cafeteria salary go in Bowling Green?
Bowling Green has a Regional Price Parity of 90.18 (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, institution and cafeteria salary is worth about $34,986 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, institution and cafeterias 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.