Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary
in Columbus, GA-AL
- Middle 50%
- $28,510–$36,050
- vs U.S. median
- -15%
- Metro rank
- #337 of 435
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in the Columbus, GA-AL metro earn a median of $31,940 a year, based on BLS estimates for 350 jobs (May 2025). That is 15% below the U.S. median of $37,450 and 9% below the GA statewide median of $35,090. It ranks #337 of 435 metros with published figures for this job.
- SOURCEBLS OEWS, May 2025
- SAMPLE350 jobs (estimate)
- SCOPEall employers, all experience levels
- PERIODMay 2025 estimates
Full percentile breakdown
BLS · metro vs U.S.
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in other GA metros
8 metros · BLS
| Metro | Median |
|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $37,080 |
| Savannah, GA | $35,480 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $34,970 |
| North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $31,240 |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | $31,090 |
| East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $30,590 |
| Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $30,300 |
| South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $29,690 |
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RELATED JOBS IN COLUMBUS
Questions
What is the average Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Columbus?
The BLS median is $31,940 a year (May 2025). Half of the 350 jobs pay between $28,510 and $36,050. The 10th percentile is $21,830 and the 90th is $39,070.
Is Columbus a high-paying metro for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?
That is 15% below the U.S. median of $37,450 and 9% below the GA statewide median of $35,090. It ranks #337 of 435 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.
How much do Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria make an hour in Columbus?
About $15.36 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $31,940 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $13.71–$17.33 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.
Does this include experience levels?
BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).
Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.