Restaurant Cooks in Arkansas

Want to work in Arkansas as a Restaurant Cook? Read this first!

You’re in luck! Jobs for Restaurant Cooks in Arkansas are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Restaurant Cooks in Arkansas is growing faster than average.

• Restaurant Cooks in Arkansas earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

How Many Restaurant Cooks Work in Arkansas?

In 2018, there were 10,910 Restaurant Cooks working in the state.

There were 10,260 Restaurant Cooks employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 650 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 17,110 Restaurant Cooks working in it, which means Arkansas has fewer Restaurant Cooks than average.

Job Projections for Arkansas

Jobs for Restaurant Cooks in this state are growing at a rate of 18.2% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 11.8%.

Arkansas Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 1,740 annual Restaurant Cooks job openings in Arkansas, and 12,160 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 195,300 annual jobs and 1,377,200 total jobs in 2026.

What do Restaurant Cooks Make in Arkansas?

In 2018 wages for Restaurant Cooks ranged from $18,780 to $29,380 with $21,980 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $9.03 to $14.12. The median hourly rate was $10.57.

Workers in this field were paid a median of $10.5 an hour in 2017.

The hourly rate grew by $0.07.

The median salary in Arkansas is higher than the nationwide median salary.

Top Arkansas Metros for Restaurant Cooks

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Restaurant Cooks.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Memphis, TN-MS-AR	4,400	$22,460
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR	3,440	$22,810
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO	2,800	$22,780
Fort Smith, AR-OK	960	$20,710
Texarkana, TX-AR	630	$22,320
Hot Springs, AR	590	$22,410
Jonesboro, AR	510	$23,090
Pine Bluff, AR	100	$20,450

Top States for Restaurant Cooks Employment

View the list below to see where most Restaurant Cooks work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
California	166,420	$29,130
Florida	110,600	$26,960
Texas	110,440	$24,980
New York	73,340	$28,100
Pennsylvania	55,980	$25,290
Illinois	48,660	$27,350
North Carolina	47,350	$23,630
Georgia	37,770	$23,430
Ohio	37,220	$24,730
Michigan	37,160	$24,120
Virginia	33,380	$24,930
Colorado	32,910	$28,460
Washington	32,510	$31,950
Massachusetts	29,880	$30,720
Missouri	28,990	$24,150
Minnesota	28,480	$28,810
Indiana	27,890	$23,350
Arizona	25,570	$26,950
Wisconsin	24,540	$25,150
South Carolina	24,430	$22,840

Below are the states where Restaurant Cooks get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
District of Columbia	$32,580
Washington	$31,950
New Jersey	$30,870
Hawaii	$30,830
Massachusetts	$30,720
Vermont	$30,620
Rhode Island	$30,130
Nevada	$30,060
Alaska	$29,270
Connecticut	$29,170

Related Careers in AR

Discover similar careers:

Occupation	AR Employment Total

What Major Will Prepare You For a Restaurant Cook Career?

• Personal & Culinary Services
• Culinary Arts
• Culinary Arts/Chef Training
• General Cooking & Related Culinary Arts

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• Image Credit: By U.S. Army Europe Images under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.