State comparison · 2025
Cooks, Restaurant salary: Massachusetts vs South Dakota
Cooks, Restaurant in Massachusetts earn a median of $45,600. In South Dakota, $36,220. After cost-of-living, the gap is 5.4% — not 25.9%.
Nominal pay gap
+25.9%
Massachusetts vs South Dakota
COL-adjusted gap
+5.4%
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
South Dakota
Cooks, Restaurant
- Median
- $36,220
- p25
- $33,040
- p75
- $38,910
- p10
- $30,140
- p90
- $44,990
- COL index (BEA RPP)100 = US average
- 88.6
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.