Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Texas
$34,870avg. a year
$16.76 an hour · 24,740 employed
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Texas earn an average of $34,870 a year. That is $3,940 (10%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810. The best-paying metro area is Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX at $37,710.
$35,360Median pay
$16.76Average hourly
+32%Avg. pay since 2020
#42Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Texas metro areas
Average pay for cooks, institution and cafeteria by metro area. Swipe to see all 26.
16,620 jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$37,710
$18.13 an hour
2130 jobs
Midland, TX
$37,500
$18.03 an hour
32,210 jobs
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$37,120
$17.85 an hour
44,890 jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$35,500
$17.07 an hour
52,290 jobs
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
$35,290
$16.96 an hour
6300 jobs
Killeen-Temple, TX
$34,770
$16.71 an hour
7280 jobs
Waco, TX
$34,210
$16.45 an hour
8130 jobs
Sherman-Denison, TX
$34,160
$16.42 an hour
9460 jobs
College Station-Bryan, TX
$34,010
$16.35 an hour
10130 jobs
San Angelo, TX
$33,960
$16.33 an hour
1190 jobs
Odessa, TX
$33,560
$16.13 an hour
12210 jobs
Wichita Falls, TX
$33,560
$16.14 an hour
13240 jobs
Amarillo, TX
$32,800
$15.77 an hour
14380 jobs
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
$32,710
$15.73 an hour
15230 jobs
Tyler, TX
$32,000
$15.38 an hour
16300 jobs
Corpus Christi, TX
$31,650
$15.22 an hour
17250 jobs
Abilene, TX
$31,560
$15.17 an hour
18190 jobs
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
$31,350
$15.07 an hour
19440 jobs
Lubbock, TX
$31,050
$14.93 an hour
20240 jobs
Longview, TX
$30,640
$14.73 an hour
2180 jobs
Victoria, TX
$30,200
$14.52 an hour
22550 jobs
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
$29,630
$14.25 an hour
23800 jobs
El Paso, TX
$29,090
$13.99 an hour
2460 jobs
Eagle Pass, TX
$28,590
$13.74 an hour
25170 jobs
Laredo, TX
$28,360
$13.63 an hour
26140 jobs
Texarkana, TX-AR
$28,000
$13.46 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 Texas, charted
Pay over time
Texas, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Texas cooks, institution and cafeteria work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Texas highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $35k$35k–$39k$39k–$44k$44k+Texas
Texas vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $38,810 | $18.66 |
| Texas | $34,870 | $16.76 |
| New Mexico | $37,130 | $17.85 |
| Arkansas | $32,720 | $15.73 |
| Oklahoma | $30,210 | $14.52 |
| Louisiana | $27,300 | $13.13 |
Related jobs in Texas
- Cooks, Restaurant$33,370
- Food Preparation Workers$32,120
- Cooks, Fast Food$29,680
- Cooks, All Other$33,130
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,750
- Waiters and Waitresses$29,750
Average pay, Texas, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make in Texas?
The average is $34,870 a year, and the median is $35,360. That is $3,940 (10%) less than the U.S. average of $38,810.
What is the hourly wage in Texas?
$16.76 an hour on average; the median is $17.00.
Where in Texas do they earn the most?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX ($37,710), followed by Midland, TX ($37,500). The lowest average among 26 metro areas with data is Texarkana, TX-AR ($28,000).
How does Texas rank?
Texas ranks #42 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.