Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in Delaware make a median of $44,080 a year, or about $21.19 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $45,206 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,448/month, about 47.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $44K get you in Delaware?
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What this looks like in Delaware
Delaware sits well above the national pay line for cooks, institution and cafeteria, local pay runs about 18% higher than the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,448/month, which is 48.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $41K | -6% | 520 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, institution and cafeteria afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 48.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/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, institution and cafeterias in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,152/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 67% 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 Delaware?
Local pay is 18% above the national median — $44K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
Delaware pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +18%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in Delaware?
The median is $44,080 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,870, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $47,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,965/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 48.8% 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, institution and cafeteria salary go in Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (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 $45,206 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.