Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in Lubbock, TX make a median of $29,700 a year, or about $14.28 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.32), which stretches that salary to about $32,523 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $973/month, about 44% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Lubbock?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lubbock’s Regional Price Parity (91.32). 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 Lubbock
Pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Lubbock runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $37K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $973/month, which is 45.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.32 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 Lubbock, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $37K | $36K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $36K | $36K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $35K | $37K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $37K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lubbock, TX
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $15K 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 Lubbock?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 45.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $973/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Lubbock?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,345/month. At HUD’s $973/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Lubbock?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $30K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lubbock compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
Lubbock pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.32), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in Lubbock, TX?
The median is $29,700 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,410, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $37,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Lubbock?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,159/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $973/month, which eats 45.1% 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 Lubbock?
Lubbock has a Regional Price Parity of 91.32 (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 $32,523 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.