As of April 01, 2025, the average hourly pay of Prep Cook in the United States is $16. While Salary.com is seeing that Prep Cook salary in the US can go up to $19 or down to $14, but most earn between $15 and $18. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Prep Cook in the United States.
| Annual Salary |
Monthly Pay |
Weekly Pay |
Hourly Wage |
|
| 75th Percentile | $18 | $1 | $0 | $0 |
| Average | $16 | $1 | $0 | $0 |
| 25th Percentile | $15 | $1 | $0 | $0 |
As of April 01, 2025, Salary.com is seeing that an entry-level Prep Cook with under 1 year experience makes about $32,938. With less than 2 years of experience, a mid-level Prep Cook makes around $33,021. After 2-4 years, the Prep Cook pay rises to about $34,050. Those senior Prep Cook with 5-8 years of experience earn roughly $35,212, and those Prep Cook having 8 years or more experience is expected to earn about $35,295 on average.
| Levels | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level Prep Cook | $32,938 |
| Intermediate Level Prep Cook | $33,021 |
| Senior Level Prep Cook | $34,050 |
| Specialist Level Prep Cook | $35,212 |
| Expert Level Prep Cook | $35,295 |
| Entry Level | 3% |
| Mid Level | 2% |
| Senior Level | 1% |
| Top Level | 4% |
| Experienced | 4% |
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from state to state due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of April 01, 2025, the average yearly salary of Prep Cook is $37,328 in California and in Massachusetts, the average annual salary goes to $36,830. While in New Jersey, a Prep Cook earns $36,681 per year.
What Am I Worth?
Salaries in the United States can vary significantly from city to city due to a multitude of factors, including cost of living, local economic conditions, and industry presence.
For example, as of April 01, 2025, the average yearly salary of Prep Cook in San Francisco, CA is $42,265 and in New York, NY, the average annual salary goes to $39,219. While a Prep Cook earns $37,744 per year in Boston, MA.
For those exploring the changing dynamics of Prep Cook salaries, Salary.com offers detailed insights through our Job Trending in CA Labor Market analysis. As of April 01, 2025, our research highlights a notable shift in Prep Cook compensation over the past six years. For instance, the median salary has moved from $33,155 in 2023 to about $33,018 in 2024 (for a comprehensive analysis of Prep Cook salary trends, click here). It's crucial to consider several elements, including geographical location, experience level, industry demand, and economic development, as they play a significant role in influencing salary variations.
Salary.com job board provides millions of Prep Cook information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Prep Cook job openings or enter a new job title here.
Here are companies hiring for Prep Cook and their salaries, click below for more details.
| Core Compensation | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Base Salary | $33,842 | 64.0% | ||
| Bonus | $0 | 0.0% | ||
| Value of Benefits | ||||
| Core Compensation | Median | % of Total | ||
| Social Security | $2,589 | 4.9% | ||
| 401K/403B | $1,421 | 2.7% | ||
| Disability | $677 | 1.3% | ||
| Healthcare | $8,352 | 15.8% | ||
| Pension | $1,827 | 3.5% | ||
| Time Off | $4,165 | 7.9% | ||
| Total Compensation | $52,874 | 100% | ||
| Degree Level | % of user with this level of education |
|---|---|
| No Diploma | 6.1% |
| High School | 53.0% |
| Associates | 30.3% |
| Bachelors | 10.6% |
What Am I Worth?
Prepares raw ingredients for use in recipes. Washes, chops, stores, and handles ingredients. Prepares portions of ingredients for workstations. May prepare sauces and garnishes or assist cook with basic recipes. Follows all applicable guidelines and regulations for food handling and safety. Typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works under the close direction of senior personnel in the functional area. Possesses a moderate understanding of general aspects of the job. May require 0-1 year of general work experience.
Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.
Customer Service: Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
WFM: Workforce management (WFM) is the way in which employers strategically allocate people and resources, track attendance and comply with constantly changing workplace laws and regulations.
Product Quality: Product quality refers to how well a product satisfies customer needs, serves its purpose and meets industry standards. When evaluating product quality, businesses consider several key factors, including whether a product solves a problem, works efficiently or suits customers' purposes.
