Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria Salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY
According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median annual wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $36,470. BLS estimates approximately 1,410 people work in this occupation in Lexington-Fayette, KY. Lexington-Fayette, KY is 2.6% below the national median ($37,450).
Salary Distribution
Not everyone earns the median. Percentile wages show the range of pay within this occupation.
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,440 | $14.16 |
| 25th percentile | $33,740 | $16.22 |
| Median (50th) | $36,470 | $17.53 |
| 75th percentile | $40,140 | $19.30 |
| 90th percentile | $50,380 | $24.22 |
Data Reliability
BLS OEWS is a survey, not a full census — every estimate carries a margin of error. The relative standard error (RSE) below is BLS’s own measure of how much an estimate could vary; lower is more precise.
- Wage estimate
- RSE 0.7% — Very reliable
- Employment estimate
- RSE 3% — Very reliable
Where Does Your Salary Fall?
Enter an annual salary to see roughly where it falls among reported wages for this occupation, based on the percentile points above.
Concentration
- Jobs per 1,000
- 4.909
- Location quotient
- 1.73
Cost-of-Living Adjusted Salary
Lexington-Fayette, KY’s regional price level is below the national average (index 92.889, where 100 = U.S. average). Adjusted for that, the median salary has the purchasing power of $39,262 at the national price level.
This is a Career Atlas USA calculation based on BLS wage data and BEA Regional Price Parities. It is not a separate BLS wage estimate. Wage data: May 2025. Cost-of-living data: 2024.
Sources
Wage data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) — May 2025 (release 25).
Figures shown as “Not available” reflect wages the source does not publish (e.g. suppressed for reliability), not zero.