Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
The prevailing wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (SOC 35-2012) is the DOL-set minimum an employer must pay when sponsoring a visa. Whether your job title is Cafeteria Cook, Dietary Cook, or simply Cook, DOL assigns four experience levels with different wage floors, and the amount varies significantly by worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level cooks with limited experience, typically following established recipes and procedures under close supervision. Workers at this level have minimal independent judgment and are learning institutional cooking techniques on the job.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria. It covers qualified cooks who work with moderate supervision, handle a range of menu items, and apply standard food safety and preparation procedures with some independence.
Level 3 applies to experienced cooks who work largely independently, adapt menus or procedures to institutional needs, and may coordinate with dietary or nutrition staff. These workers bring several years of institutional cooking experience and exercise significant judgment.
Level 4 is reserved for fully competent cooks in senior or lead roles, often overseeing a kitchen team, managing food production schedules, or serving as head cook for a large institution such as a hospital, university, or correctional facility.
Prevailing Wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
Watch for title mismatches on LCA filings
Job titles like Food Service Worker or Food Service Specialist can sometimes be filed under a broader food preparation SOC, missing the SOC 35-2012 floor. Confirm your offer letter and LCA both reference Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria to ensure the correct wage level applies.
Factor out meals and housing from your wage comparison
Institutional employers, especially hospitals and university dining services, sometimes offer meal allowances or subsidized housing. DOL requires the prevailing wage to be met in cash wages alone; non-cash benefits do not count toward satisfying the wage floor.
Check whether your metro is a high-wage outlier
Wage floors for institutional cooks vary sharply by location. West Coast metros and Hawaii carry prevailing wages nearly double those in lower-paying Southern markets. A rural Alabama posting at the national median may not clear the local floor for a sponsored position.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with institutional cook history
Hospital systems, university dining contractors, and corrections food service companies are the employers most likely to have sponsored Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria before. Migrate Mate shows which employers have active H-1B or green card sponsorship history, so you can target institutions with a real filing track record.
Jobs for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 35-2012.00 alongside Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Cafeteria Cook Prevailing Wage
Cafeteria Cook Prevailing Wage
Cafeteria Cook positions fall under SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Cook Prevailing Wage
Cook Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Cook for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Dietary Cook Prevailing Wage
Dietary Cook Prevailing Wage
Dietary Cook is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Dinner Cook Prevailing Wage
Dinner Cook Prevailing Wage
Dinner Cook positions fall under SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Food Service Specialist Prevailing Wage
Food Service Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Food Service Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Food Service Worker Prevailing Wage
Food Service Worker Prevailing Wage
Food Service Worker is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook) Prevailing Wage
Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook) Prevailing Wage
Prep Cook (Preparatory Cook) positions fall under SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
School Cook Prevailing Wage
School Cook Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a School Cook for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Sous Chef Prevailing Wage
Sous Chef Prevailing Wage
Sous Chef is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 35-2012.00 (Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria?
DOL derives prevailing wages from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For SOC 35-2012, DOL maps survey data to four wage levels based on experience and skill. Employers sponsoring a cook for an H-1B or PERM green card must file a Labor Condition Application certifying they will pay at least the applicable level wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level workers under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified workers with moderate independence, and is the level most institutional cook positions are filed at. Level 3 reflects experienced workers with significant autonomy. Level 4 is for senior or lead cooks. Your level should match your actual duties and years of experience; employers occasionally file at a lower level than the role warrants, which is worth verifying before accepting a sponsored offer.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same cook role vary so much from city to city?
DOL uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so wages reflect local labor market conditions. A hospital cook position in Seattle or San Jose is benchmarked against wages paid by competing institutional employers in that metro, driving the floor significantly higher than in lower-wage markets. OFLC rules require the wage to match the actual worksite listed on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, so a remote or multi-site arrangement still uses the specific work location's prevailing wage.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
If the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage for the applicable level and location, the employer cannot file a compliant Labor Condition Application, which is required for H-1B and H-1B1 sponsorship. For PERM-based green cards, USCIS will not approve a petition tied to a non-compliant wage determination. In practice, the employer must either raise the offered salary to meet the floor or file at a lower wage level that accurately reflects the role, though downgrading the level to avoid the floor raises compliance risks.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria position in a specific U.S. city?
The most direct method is the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 35-2012 wages by metropolitan area and wage level. You can also review OFLC's public LCA disclosure data to see what wage level and amount recent employers have certified for institutional cook positions in your target city. Cross-referencing both sources gives you a reliable picture of the floor your offer needs to clear.
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