Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary
Cooks, Institution and Cafeterias in West Virginia make a median of $29,740 a year, or about $14.3 an hour. The range runs from $24K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.03), which stretches that salary to about $33,404 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,008/month, about 47.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across West Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $30K actually covers in West Virginia, month by month
About cooks, institution and cafeterias
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What this looks like in West Virginia
Pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria in West Virginia 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 $1,008/month, which is 48.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.03 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, West Virginia
Entry-level cooks, institution and cafeterias (10th percentile) start around $24K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary by metro in West Virginia
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown | $32K | +7% | 340 |
| Weirton-Steubenville | $31K | +4% | 240 |
| Wheeling | $31K | +3% | 330 |
| Charleston | $30K | +1% | 660 |
| Huntington-Ashland | $30K | -0% | 920 |
| Beckley | $30K | -0% | 240 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna | $29K | -2% | 180 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cooks, institution and cafeteria afford a 2BR apartment alone in West Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $30K, rent takes 48.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,008/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 West Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, institution and cafeterias typically earn — is $24K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,704/month. At HUD’s $1,008/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 West Virginia?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $30K here vs. $37K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does West Virginia compare to the national average for cooks, institution and cafeterias?
West Virginia pays $30K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.03), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, institution and cafeterias make in West Virginia?
The median is $29,740 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,820, and experienced cooks, institution and cafeterias can clear $38,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in West Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,088/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,008/month, which eats 48.3% 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 West Virginia?
West Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 89.03 (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 $33,404 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.