SOC 35-2012 · Niles, MI metro

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Niles, MI

The average salary for cooks, institution and cafeteria in Niles, Michigan is $36,350 a year ($17.48 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $36,180: half of the 270 people in this job in the Niles, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($38,810).

$36,350average per year

$17.48 / hourMedian $36,180Take-home ≈ $30,089

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $42K90th

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

270people in this job
-6%vs U.S. average
#8 of 15Michigan metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay range in Niles

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,870 or more. The middle half of cooks, institution and cafeteria in Niles earn between $34,890 and $39,320.

  • $29K10th
  • $35K25th
  • $36KMedian
  • $39K75th
  • $42K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$36,350$3,029$17.48
Median$36,180$3,015$17.39
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,890$2,908$16.77
Experienced (75th percentile)$39,320$3,277$18.90

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

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria pay in Niles vs. Michigan and the U.S.

Cooks, institution and cafeteria in Niles earn about the same as the Michigan average ($37,370) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($38,810). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $37,450.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Niles$36,350$36,180$28,920$41,870270
Michigan$37,370$36,870$29,800$45,54013,500
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 Niles

On the average salary of $36,350, a single filer in Niles takes home about $30,089 a year, or $2,507 a month and $1,157 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Michigan paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Niles area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $36,350 buys what about $39,353 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Niles ($45,980). A typical home costs $282,443, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $36,350 is worth in another city

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salary in other Michigan cities

Niles ranks 8th of 15 Michigan metro areas for this job; Ann Arbor pays the most ($41,680).

All Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria salaries in Michigan

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 Niles: questions

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

$17.48 an hour on average, and $17.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $28,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,890, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $30,089 a year ($2,507 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,350.

Do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more in Niles 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 Niles, MI (35660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.57, this job is 1.6 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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