United States · Pay by job · Food Service
Private Household Cook salary and take-home pay
The typical US private household cook earns $47,940 a year, or $23.05 an hour (BLS, May 2025). On that pay, a single filer in Texas keeps about $40,700 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
BLS title: Cooks, Private Household (SOC 35-2013). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.
How much does a private household cook earn?
| Percentile | Bar | A year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,090 | $17.35 | |
| 25th | $40,630 | $19.54 | |
| Median | $47,940 | $23.05 | |
| 75th | $55,450 | $26.66 | |
| 90th | $91,130 | $43.81 |
The middle half of people in this job earn $40,630 to $55,450 a year, and about 1,100 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).
Take-home pay tool
Private Household Cook · Texas · single · median
$40,699.79 a year after tax
$3,391.65 a month · $1,565.38 a paycheck (every two weeks)
| Pay before tax | $47,940.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$3,572.80 |
| Social Security and Medicare | −$3,667.41 |
| Texas tax and payroll contributions | none |
| Take-home pay | $40,699.79 |
Pay: the national median, $47,940 a year, because BLS released no median for this job in Texas. One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.
What does a private household cook take home at each pay point?
A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:
| Pay a year | Texas | California | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,090 | $31,178 | $30,317 | $29,639 |
| 25th | $40,630 | $34,826 | $33,725 | $33,022 |
| Median | $47,940 | $40,700 | $39,211 | $38,470 |
| 75th | $55,450 | $46,734 | $44,713 | $44,066 |
| 90th | $91,130 | $72,940 | $67,669 | $68,179 |
Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.
Where does a private household cook keep the most after tax?
Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.
| Rank | State | Median pay | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $37,440 | $30,645 |
Not ranked, because BLS released no median there: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.
How much does a private household cook earn in each state?
| State | Median pay | People in the job | Take-home (single) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | not released | not released | not yet |
| Alaska | not released | not released | – |
| Arizona | not released | not released | not yet |
| Arkansas | not released | not released | not yet |
| California | not released | 110 | – |
| Colorado | not released | not released | not yet |
| Connecticut | not released | not released | not yet |
| Delaware | not released | not released | not yet |
| District of Columbia | not released | not released | not yet |
| Florida | not released | not released | – |
| Georgia | not released | not released | – |
| Hawaii | not released | not released | not yet |
| Idaho | not released | not released | not yet |
| Illinois | not released | not released | – |
| Indiana | not released | not released | not yet |
| Iowa | not released | not released | not yet |
| Kansas | not released | not released | not yet |
| Kentucky | not released | not released | not yet |
| Louisiana | not released | not released | not yet |
| Maine | not released | not released | not yet |
| Maryland | not released | not released | not yet |
| Massachusetts | not released | not released | not yet |
| Michigan | not released | not released | – |
| Minnesota | not released | not released | not yet |
| Mississippi | not released | not released | not yet |
| Missouri | not released | not released | not yet |
| Montana | not released | not released | not yet |
| Nebraska | not released | not released | not yet |
| Nevada | not released | not released | – |
| New Hampshire | not released | not released | – |
| New Jersey | not released | not released | – |
| New Mexico | not released | not released | not yet |
| New York | $37,440 | 140 | $30,645 (#1) |
| North Carolina | not released | not released | – |
| North Dakota | not released | not released | not yet |
| Ohio | not released | not released | – |
| Oklahoma | not released | not released | not yet |
| Oregon | not released | not released | not yet |
| Pennsylvania | not released | not released | – |
| Rhode Island | not released | not released | not yet |
| South Carolina | not released | not released | not yet |
| South Dakota | not released | not released | – |
| Tennessee | not released | not released | – |
| Texas | not released | not released | – |
| Utah | not released | not released | not yet |
| Vermont | not released | not released | not yet |
| Virginia | not released | not released | – |
| Washington | not released | not released | – |
| West Virginia | not released | not released | not yet |
| Wisconsin | not released | not released | not yet |
| Wyoming | not released | not released | – |
Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.
What is the job outlook for a private household cook?
BLS expects jobs as a private household cook to grow 5.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
- Job growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.1%
- Openings a year
- about 5,000
- Usual education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
What do similar jobs pay?
The 10 food service jobs closest in pay to a private household cook:
- Food Service Supervisor median $44,080
- Other Cook median $37,690
- Institution and Cafeteria Cook median $37,450
- Restaurant Cook median $37,390
- Short Order Cook median $35,880
- Other Food Service Worker median $35,840
- Nonrestaurant Food Server median $35,360
- Food Preparation Worker median $35,320
- Waiter and Waitress median $35,230
- Dishwasher median $34,810
Every job in the group: Food Service jobs. Not sure which job suits you? Try the free career test.
What else can I work out?
- Your paycheck on $47,940, with any pay schedule, 401(k) or HSA.
- Hourly to salary: $23.05 an hour as a yearly salary.
- Your 2026 tax refund on $47,940, with the new deductions for tips and overtime.
Where do these figures come from?
Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.
Questions about private household cook pay
How much does a private household cook make an hour?
The median is $23.05 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $19.54 to $26.66, and the top 10% earn $43.81 or more.
Which state pays a private household cook the most?
Among the 50 states and DC, New York has the highest median for this job: $37,440 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, New York leaves the most: $30,645 a year for a single filer on its median of $37,440.
What is a private household cook’s take-home pay?
On the national median of $47,940, a single filer keeps about $40,700 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $39,211 in California and $38,470 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.
What education do you need to be a private household cook?
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the usual way in, with less than 5 years of work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.
Is the number of private household cook jobs growing?
BLS expects jobs as a private household cook to grow 5.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).