Career Atlas USA

Best States for Cooks, All Other

Ranked by the Career Atlas Opportunity Score, not raw pay — a high-paying state with few jobs or a high cost of living can rank below a more balanced one.

  1. 1Nevada76.3 / 100
  2. 2Montana76.1 / 100
  3. 3Tennessee75.9 / 100
  4. 4Vermont71.6 / 100
  5. 5Oregon69.5 / 100
  6. 6California65.3 / 100
  7. 7Arizona64.7 / 100
  8. 8North Dakota63.8 / 100
  9. 9New York55.6 / 100
  10. 10Georgia55.2 / 100
  11. 11Texas55.2 / 100
  12. 12Washington49.8 / 100
  13. 13New Jersey48.3 / 100
  14. 14Florida45.5 / 100
  15. 15Louisiana45.2 / 100

Also see highest-paying states (ranked by salary alone).