Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria in District of Columbia
May 2025 wages · tax year 2026
You keep
$37,138
after federal, FICA and District of Columbia tax
Tax takes
$8,312
18.3% of the whole
Worth, in national money
$33,517
District of Columbia costs more than average
On that salary you would be around the 25th percentile for this work in District of Columbia — roughly, since only five points along the band are published.
One filer, standard deduction, no dependants and nothing paid in before tax — the same household the rest of this page uses, so the comparison holds. City and school-district income taxes are not included.
Median here
$45,450
Kept after tax
$37,138
Worth in national money
$33,517
State rank
10
of 51 states
What this pays, and what it is worth
- Pay for this job is strong here. District of Columbia's middle earner gets $45,450, putting the state 10 of 51 — about 21.36% ahead of the national figure.
- Measured against other jobs in District of Columbia, this one sits low: 346 of 390 occupations with published pay, in the bottom quarter.
- The wage here flatters the reality. From $45,450 the take-home is $37,138. But District of Columbia costs more than the national average, so that money behaves more like $33,517 would elsewhere. Worth knowing before comparing offers across states. The average is higher, $45,560, because the best-paid pull it up.
- For cooks, institution and cafeteria, District of Columbia sits in the upper band nationally: a median of $45,450, ranking 10 of 51 and running about 21.36% above the national midpoint. Nominal advantage of this size is usually, though not always, large enough to survive the state's own tax and price levels.
- Cooks, institution and cafeteria occupies position 346 of 390 in District of Columbia's occupational wage distribution, in the bottom quartile. National ranking and local ranking answer different questions and frequently disagree; this is the one a resident experiences.
- Retained pay after federal, FICA and District of Columbia income tax is $37,138 for cooks, institution and cafeteria, from $45,450. The state's price level exceeds the national average, so the price-adjusted equivalent is $33,517. ⚠️ This is purchasing power and not a wage; cross-state offer comparisons that stop at the nominal figure systematically overvalue high-cost states. The mean of $45,560 sits above the median, the right skew typical of wage data.
Compare this career across states
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Pay band: Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
The state median for this job
| Lowest tenth earn under | $38,740 |
|---|---|
| Half earn under | $45,450 |
| Top tenth earn over | $55,680 |
| This salary | $45,450 |
Positions between the published tenth, quarter, half, three-quarter and ninetieth points are estimated by straight line.
The same pay, somewhere else
The state median for this job
| Take-home in District of Columbia | $37,138 |
|---|---|
| Take-home in Texas | $38,699 |
| Once local prices are leveledBEA price parity | +$6,307 |
State income tax and state price levels only. No city income tax, and no housing market.
What you would need there
The state median for this job
| To match take-home only | $43,507 |
|---|---|
| You could take a cut of | −$7,628 |
| Prices in Texas | 97 vs 111 |
State taxes and state price levels only. No city tax, and no housing market.
Sources and assumptions
- Half the people doing this work in District of Columbia earn less than $45,450. The published range is $38,740 up to $55,680, so an individual figure can sit a long way from the middle in either direction.
- One filer, no dependants, no pension contributions — that is the household behind District of Columbia's $37,138, worked from $45,450. That is on purpose. It lets states be compared with each other, not with each other's family circumstances. Local city taxes are left out. Locally this work ranks 346 of 390.
- One number stands for prices across all of District of Columbia, which is a simplification — big cities cost far more than small towns. Read $33,517, the adjusted value of that $45,450 median, as a way to compare states fairly, not as a quote for any particular place. The two datasets are also from different years. This job sits at 346 of 390 in the state.
- Reported values are medians; for cooks, institution and cafeteria in District of Columbia the tenth-to-ninetieth percentile band is $38,740 to $55,680. Neither the median nor the band is an offer rate, and neither accounts for hours, shift differentials or overtime.
- The District of Columbia take-home of $37,138, on $45,450 for work ranking 346 of 390 locally, models the simplest household deliberately: holding it constant is what makes the interstate comparison meaningful. It also means the absolute figure overstates liability for most real filers, and municipal income taxes are outside the model entirely. The occupation ranks 346 of 390 in the state.
- Price deflation uses one statewide parity for District of Columbia, so $33,517 — the adjusted value of that $45,450 median — establishes comparability between states rather than accuracy within one. The wage and parity series are dated independently, each following its own publication cycle, and neither is projected forward. This occupation sits at 346 of 390 locally.
Questions people ask
How much does pay for this job actually vary?
Less than you might expect. The bottom tenth earn $38,740 and the top tenth $55,680, so most people doing this work in District of Columbia sit within a fairly tight band.
Does a bigger number here mean I am better off?
Not on its own. Prices in District of Columbia run above the national level, so the same dollars buy less here. Adjusted for that, this pay is worth $33,517 — the wage did not change, only what it covers.
Where does the difference between the wage and my paycheck go?
Four deductions, stacked. The federal layer and the two payroll taxes apply wherever you work; District of Columbia then takes its own share, leaving $37,138.
Can I compare this job across every state?
All 51 jurisdictions report this work, which makes the ranking a like-for-like one.
What is the dispersion of this occupation's wage distribution?
The tenth-to-ninetieth percentile span ($38,740 to $55,680) sits at or below the family's median dispersion, indicating relatively standardized compensation. Percentiles are published per state, so this dispersion is specific to District of Columbia rather than a national figure.
How does the state price level affect real compensation?
District of Columbia's regional price parity sits above the national average, so nominal wages overstate purchasing power. Deflating take-home by the state price level gives $33,517 in national-average terms. ⚠️ RPPs are an all-items index; housing parities vary far more widely than the headline figure.
What accounts for the gap between gross wage and take-home here?
Take-home of $37,138 reflects federal income tax, OASDI, Medicare and District of Columbia income tax for a single filer with no adjustments. The state layer is levied in addition to the federal one; only its rate and base differ between states.
Is this occupation's state coverage complete?
State-level estimates are published for all 51 jurisdictions for this occupation, so cross-state comparison is not confounded by suppression. ⚠️ Estimates remain survey-based and carry sampling error; small differences between adjacent states should not be over-read.