Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Louisiana
$27,300avg. a year
$13.13 an hour · 5,740 employed
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Louisiana earn an average of $27,300 a year. That is $11,510 (30%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810. The best-paying metro area is Lake Charles, LA at $31,940.
$25,490Median pay
$13.13Average hourly
+7%Avg. pay since 2020
#51Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Louisiana metro areas
Average pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria by metro area. Swipe to see all 10.
1280 jobs
Lake Charles, LA
$31,940
$15.36 an hour
2160 jobs
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA
$31,600
$15.19 an hour
3260 jobs
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
$30,570
$14.70 an hour
41,050 jobs
New Orleans-Metairie, LA
$30,110
$14.48 an hour
51,240 jobs
Baton Rouge, LA
$27,080
$13.02 an hour
6470 jobs
Lafayette, LA
$27,000
$12.98 an hour
7420 jobs
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA
$26,140
$12.57 an hour
8190 jobs
Hammond, LA
$25,420
$12.22 an hour
9280 jobs
Alexandria, LA
$25,190
$12.11 an hour
10300 jobs
Monroe, LA
$24,610
$11.83 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 Louisiana, charted
Pay over time
Louisiana, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Louisiana cooks, institution and cafeteria work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Louisiana highlighted · tap a state
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Under $35k$35k–$39k$39k–$44k$44k+Louisiana
Louisiana vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,810 | $18.66 |
| Louisiana | $27,300 | $13.13 |
| Texas | $34,870 | $16.76 |
| Arkansas | $32,720 | $15.73 |
| Mississippi | $27,850 | $13.39 |
Related jobs in Louisiana
- Cooks, Restaurant$30,630
- Food Preparation Workers$25,580
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$24,580
- Waiters and Waitresses$22,350
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$39,360
- Bartenders$25,250
Average pay, Louisiana, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make in Louisiana?
The average is $27,300 a year, and the median is $25,490. That is $11,510 (30%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810.
What is the hourly wage in Louisiana?
$13.13 an hour on average; the median is $12.26.
Where in Louisiana do they earn the most?
Lake Charles, LA ($31,940), followed by Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA ($31,600). The lowest average among 10 metro areas with data is Monroe, LA ($24,610).
How does Louisiana rank?
Louisiana ranks #51 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.