SOC 35-2012 · Fayetteville, NC metro

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Fayetteville, NC

The average salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Fayetteville, North Carolina is $36,670 a year ($17.63 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $37,200: half of the 360 people in this job in the Fayetteville, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

$36,670average per year

$17.63 / hourMedian $37,200Take-home ≈ $30,690

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $41K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

360people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#5 of 15North Carolina metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Fayetteville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $43,990 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Fayetteville earn between $29,720 and $41,450.

  • $28K10th
  • $30K25th
  • $37KMedian
  • $41K75th
  • $44K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,670$3,056$17.63
Median$37,200$3,100$17.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$29,720$2,477$14.29
Experienced (75th percentile)$41,450$3,454$19.93

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Fayetteville vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Cooks, institution and cafeteria in Fayetteville earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($36,130) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($38,810). At the median the gap is -1% against the U.S. median of $37,450.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fayetteville$36,670$37,200$28,350$43,990360
North Carolina$36,130$36,140$28,050$45,13011,170
United States$38,810$37,450$28,480$49,670441,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary after taxes in Fayetteville

On the average salary of $36,670, a single filer in Fayetteville takes home about $30,690 a year, or $2,557 a month and $1,180 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Fayetteville a good place for cooks, institution and cafeteria? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Fayetteville area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.0), so the average $36,670 buys what about $39,868 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Fayetteville ($45,620). A typical home costs $259,183, or 7.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,670 is worth in another city

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other North Carolina cities

Fayetteville ranks 5th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($38,850).

All Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for cooks, institution and cafeteria

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($57,770).

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary by city

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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in Fayetteville: questions

How much do cooks, institution and cafeteria make an hour in Fayetteville?

$17.63 an hour on average, and $17.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, institution and cafeteria salary in Fayetteville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $29,720, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, institution and cafeteria take-home pay in Fayetteville?

About $30,690 a year ($2,557 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,670.

Do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more in Fayetteville than elsewhere?

The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2012; area Fayetteville, NC (22180). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.97, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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