Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Kansas
$32,990avg. a year
$15.86 an hour · 7,570 employed
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Kansas earn an average of $32,990 a year. That is $5,820 (15%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810. The best-paying metro area is Lawrence, KS at $36,760.
$31,950Median pay
$15.86Average hourly
+27%Avg. pay since 2020
#45Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Kansas metro areas
Average pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria by metro area. Swipe to see all 7.
1180 jobs
Lawrence, KS
$36,760
$17.68 an hour
24,470 jobs
Kansas City, MO-KS
$36,590
$17.59 an hour
3210 jobs
St. Joseph, MO-KS
$34,770
$16.72 an hour
4480 jobs
Topeka, KS
$33,940
$16.32 an hour
5310 jobs
Manhattan, KS
$32,920
$15.83 an hour
6350 jobs
Joplin, MO-KS
$32,640
$15.69 an hour
71,370 jobs
Wichita, KS
$32,340
$15.55 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Kansas, charted
Pay over time
Kansas, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Kansas cooks, institution and cafeteria work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Kansas highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $35k$35k–$39k$39k–$44k$44k+Kansas
Kansas vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,810 | $18.66 |
| Kansas | $32,990 | $15.86 |
| Colorado | $43,690 | $21.01 |
| Nebraska | $37,310 | $17.94 |
| Missouri | $35,190 | $16.92 |
| Oklahoma | $30,210 | $14.52 |
Related jobs in Kansas
- Cooks, Restaurant$34,900
- Food Preparation Workers$31,460
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,190
- Waiters and Waitresses$39,170
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$42,630
- Bartenders$35,780
Average pay, Kansas, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make in Kansas?
The average is $32,990 a year, and the median is $31,950. That is $5,820 (15%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810.
What is the hourly wage in Kansas?
$15.86 an hour on average; the median is $15.36.
Where in Kansas do they earn the most?
Lawrence, KS ($36,760), followed by Kansas City, MO-KS ($36,590). The lowest average among 7 metro areas with data is Wichita, KS ($32,340).
How does Kansas rank?
Kansas ranks #45 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2012. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, institution and cafeteria page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.