State comparison · 2025
Cooks, Restaurant salary: District of Columbia vs Iowa
Cooks, Restaurant in District of Columbia earn a median of $46,130. In Iowa, $35,670. After cost-of-living, the gap is 3.3% — not 29.3%.
Nominal pay gap
+29.3%
District of Columbia vs Iowa
COL-adjusted gap
+3.3%
After BEA Regional Price Parities
District of Columbia
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $46,130
- p25
- $39,960
- p75
- $47,890
- p10
- $36,440
- p90
- $53,020
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 109.9
Iowa
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $35,670
- p25
- $30,360
- p75
- $38,180
- p10
- $28,690
- p90
- $44,460
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 87.8
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities (overall index). Hiring velocity from DOL OFLC public disclosure data, recent 180 days vs prior. See methodology.