New York City was home to nearly 40,000 restaurants in 2009 with a projected total of 698,300 employees in 2011, according to the National Restaurant Association. Large restaurants employ line cooks, or short-order cooks, who focus on preparing specific foods, such as vegetables and meats, or a specific cooking style, such as grilling. Line cooks in New York typically earn a higher salary than their counterparts across the country.
State Average
Line cooks employed in New York earned an average mean wage of $11.92 per hour, or $24,800 annually in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In comparison, fast food cooks earned $19,810 and restaurant cooks earned $28,280.
Metropolitan Salary
The White Plains metropolitan area of New York had one of the highest concentrations of employment in 2010. Line cooks in the area earned $12.77 per hour, or $26,560 annually, according to the BLS. The Kingston, New York area paid $27,540 annually in the same year. However, the Nassau metropolitan area paid the highest wages at $28,070 annually, or $13.50 per hour.
Non-Metropolitan Salary
Line cooks earned an average $20,710 annually in the southwest portion of the state. Wages averaged $22,480 annually in Central New York, $19,470 in the northern portion of the state and $23,720 in the east central portion of the state.
National Average
At the national level, line cooks earned $21,030 annually, or $10.11 per hour, according to the BLS. The highest-paid earners received $29,010 annually and those receiving the lowest wages were paid $15,930. Line cooks in the middle range earned between $17,280 and $23,680, which makes New York one of the highest-paying states for the occupation.
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