Household & Estate · Entry
Cook Salary
Compensation benchmarks from 255 verified sources including industry surveys, published reports, and market intelligence.
National Compensation Range
P25
—
25th percentile
P50
$90,000
Median
P75
—
75th percentile
CANDIDATE MARKET
Competitive
Scarcity: 3.5/10
EST. CANDIDATE POOL
423-770
Active candidates nationally
DEMAND TREND
Stable
8% year-over-year
RETENTION
3.5 yr avg tenure
20% annual turnover
Cook Salary by City
Median (P50) adjusted for metro cost of labor.
Market Trends
Strong demand for health-conscious and family-friendly meal preparation
Also Known As
Household Cook, Private Cook, Family Cook, Estate Cook
What Does a Cook Do?
The Cook operates within private households, estates, and family residences, reporting to principals or family office leadership. Professionals in this role typically bring 5 to 10 years of relevant experience. Classified at the Entry level, this position draws from a competitive candidate pool, though specialized qualifications and sector-specific experience remain key differentiators in hiring.
What Drives Cook Compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for a Cook is $90,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning — to —. Pay variation across this range is primarily driven by the size and complexity of the estate, number of residences managed, household budget, geographic cost of living, and whether the principal maintains multiple domestic and international properties. Demand for this role is trending upward with 0.08% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
Cook Career Path
Professionals who move into Cook roles most commonly come from luxury hospitality, five-star hotel management, property management, or formal service training programs. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward chief of staff positions, multi-estate oversight, or private family office operations leadership. The average tenure in this role is approximately 3.5 years, with an annual turnover rate of 20%.
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