Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR make a median of $26,260 a year, or about $12.62 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $40K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100), that's roughly $26,260 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $663/month, about 35.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $26K get you in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas’s Regional Price Parity (100). 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas
Pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $37K. Rent runs $663/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 100) 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, adjusted for local cost of living.
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $26K. Top earners bring in $40K or more, a $18K 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $26K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $663/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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,310/month. At HUD’s $663/month FMR, rent would take 51% 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $26K here vs. $37K nationally.
How does San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas pays $26K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100), the purchasing-power equivalent is $26K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR?
The median is $26,260 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,840, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $39,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $26K enough to live in San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,927/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $663/month, which eats 34.4% 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 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas?
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, institution and cafeteria salary is worth about $26,260 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.