Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Massachusetts
$48,750avg. a year
$23.44 an hour · 7,430 employed
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Massachusetts earn an average of $48,750 a year. That is $9,940 (26%) more than the U.S. average of $38,810. The best-paying metro area is Barnstable Town, MA at $52,850.
$47,790Median pay
$23.44Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
#4Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Massachusetts metro areas
Average pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria by metro area. Swipe to see all 7.
1170 jobs
Barnstable Town, MA
$52,850
$25.41 an hour
25,310 jobs
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$49,740
$23.92 an hour
3170 jobs
Pittsfield, MA
$47,660
$22.91 an hour
4690 jobs
Worcester, MA
$46,920
$22.56 an hour
51,630 jobs
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
$46,070
$22.15 an hour
6520 jobs
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
$45,590
$21.92 an hour
7450 jobs
Springfield, MA
$45,070
$21.67 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 Massachusetts, charted
Pay over time
Massachusetts, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Massachusetts cooks, institution and cafeteria work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Massachusetts highlighted · tap a state
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Under $35k$35k–$39k$39k–$44k$44k+Massachusetts
Massachusetts vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,810 | $18.66 |
| Massachusetts | $48,750 | $23.44 |
| New York | $46,850 | $22.52 |
| Rhode Island | $46,620 | $22.41 |
| Connecticut | $46,320 | $22.27 |
| Vermont | $46,260 | $22.24 |
| New Hampshire | $45,450 | $21.85 |
Related jobs in Massachusetts
- Cooks, Restaurant$45,450
- Food Preparation Workers$41,030
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$35,880
- Waiters and Waitresses$44,480
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$52,600
- Bartenders$45,120
Average pay, Massachusetts, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make in Massachusetts?
The average is $48,750 a year, and the median is $47,790. That is $9,940 (26%) more than the U.S. average of $38,810.
What is the hourly wage in Massachusetts?
$23.44 an hour on average; the median is $22.98.
Where in Massachusetts do they earn the most?
Barnstable Town, MA ($52,850), followed by Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH ($49,740). The lowest average among 7 metro areas with data is Springfield, MA ($45,070).
How does Massachusetts rank?
Massachusetts ranks #4 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.