Career Atlas USA

Best States for Cooks, Fast Food

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. 1California88.9 / 100
  2. 2Missouri80.1 / 100
  3. 3District of Columbia73.7 / 100
  4. 4Alabama68.1 / 100
  5. 5Colorado67.6 / 100
  6. 6Alaska67 / 100
  7. 7Iowa64.2 / 100
  8. 8Nevada64 / 100
  9. 9Washington63.2 / 100
  10. 10South Dakota63 / 100
  11. 11Arkansas60.8 / 100
  12. 12North Carolina60.3 / 100
  13. 13Arizona58.6 / 100
  14. 14Tennessee57.8 / 100
  15. 15Illinois57.4 / 100

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