State comparison · 2025
Cooks, Restaurant salary: Iowa vs Washington
Cooks, Restaurant in Washington earn a median of $46,800. In Iowa, $35,670. After cost-of-living, the gap is 7.1% — not 23.8%.
Nominal pay gap
-23.8%
Iowa vs Washington
COL-adjusted gap
-7.1%
After BEA Regional Price Parities
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
Washington
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $46,800
- p25
- $42,770
- p75
- $49,540
- p10
- $37,940
- p90
- $57,910
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 107.0
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.