State comparison · 2025
Cooks, Restaurant salary: Massachusetts vs North Carolina
Cooks, Restaurant in Massachusetts earn a median of $45,600. In North Carolina, $35,400. After cost-of-living, the gap is 14.8% — not 28.8%.
Nominal pay gap
+28.8%
Massachusetts vs North Carolina
COL-adjusted gap
+14.8%
After BEA Regional Price Parities
Massachusetts
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $45,600
- p25
- $38,370
- p75
- $49,040
- p10
- $36,540
- p90
- $58,590
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 105.8
North Carolina
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $35,400
- p25
- $29,690
- p75
- $38,170
- p10
- $27,980
- p90
- $45,450
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 94.3
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.