Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC make a median of $38,970 a year, or about $18.73 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $39,941 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 63.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Cooks, institution and cafeteria pay in Durham-Chapel Hill tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 65% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, institution and cafeterias in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $38K | $39K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $37K | $38K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $36K | $38K |
| Winston-Salem | $37K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $20K 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 65% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,757/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 97% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $38,970 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,280, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $49,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,633/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 65% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 $39,941 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.