How much do cooks, restaurant make in State College, PA?

What the Cooks, Restaurant median says in State College, PA

The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Cooks, Restaurant median in State College, PA at $35,990 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 35-2014 and BLS area 44300.

BLS lists 730 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $35,500 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.

State College, PA's Cooks, Restaurant median is 3.7% below the U.S. Cooks, Restaurant median of $37,390 on the same published median. Both values use the same job code and source date. They do not account for prices, taxes, benefits, hours, or your work history.

Read source key 35-2014 with area 44300

This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 35-2014 and area 44300. SOC 35-2014 names Cooks, Restaurant. Area 44300 names State College, PA. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.

The 35-2014/44300 row has 730 wage and salary jobs. There are 10.55 for each 1,000 local jobs. The location quotient is 1.16. Each value stays under the same job and area codes.

For 35-2014/44300, the annual median is $35,990 per year, while the matching mean is $35,500 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.

• 35-2014/44300 10th percentile: $23,860 per year.
• 35-2014/44300 25th percentile: $30,330 per year.
• 35-2014/44300 median: $35,990 per year.
• 35-2014/44300 75th percentile: $38,400 per year.
• 35-2014/44300 90th percentile: $44,510 per year.
• 35-2014/44300 employment RSE: 3.9%. Mean-wage RSE: 1.7%.
• 35-2014/44300 has no suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.

BLS area 44300 facts behind this Cooks, Restaurant page

Area 44300 reports 68,840 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $62,190. Its annual median is $49,220. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.5%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 35-2014 row.

The all-jobs wage ladder in State College, PA runs from $27,680 at the 10th percentile to $103,350 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $35,850. The median is $49,220. The 75th percentile is $77,870. This is a place check, not a pay range for Cooks, Restaurant.

The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 44300. They do not show related skills or a path into Cooks, Restaurant.

• 1. Fast Food and Counter Workers. Area: 44300. SOC: 35-3023. Jobs: 2,320. Yearly median: $27,790. Jobs per 1,000: 33.71. Location quotient: 1.36.
• 2. Retail Salespersons. Area: 44300. SOC: 41-2031. Jobs: 1,710. Yearly median: $29,240. Jobs per 1,000: 24.9. Location quotient: 0.99.
• 3. General and Operations Managers. Area: 44300. SOC: 11-1021. Jobs: 1,470. Yearly median: $91,120. Jobs per 1,000: 21.32. Location quotient: 0.95.
• 4. Office Clerks, General. Area: 44300. SOC: 43-9061. Jobs: 1,460. Yearly median: $43,920. Jobs per 1,000: 21.19. Location quotient: 1.34.
• 5. Home Health and Personal Care Aides. Area: 44300. SOC: 31-1120. Jobs: 1,380. Yearly median: $29,950. Jobs per 1,000: 19.99. Location quotient: 0.72.
• 6. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners. Area: 44300. SOC: 37-2011. Jobs: 1,360. Yearly median: $35,850. Jobs per 1,000: 19.74. Location quotient: 1.39.

Read the State College, PA wage ladder for Cooks, Restaurant

The 10th percentile is $23,860 per year. The 25th percentile is $30,330 per year. The median is $35,990 per year. The 75th percentile is $38,400 per year. The 90th percentile is $44,510 per year.

A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.

The middle half runs from $30,330 per year to $38,400 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $20,650. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.

Compare State College, PA with its state and the U.S.

State College, PA has a annual median of $35,990 per year. Pennsylvania has $36,580 per year. The U.S. row has $37,390 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.

State College, PA is 1.6% below Pennsylvania on the same published median. State College, PA is 3.7% below the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.

The state and U.S. rows are benchmarks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.

Where State College, PA sits for Cooks, Restaurant

State College, PA ranks 200 of 391 among metro areas with a published annual median for Cooks, Restaurant. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.

Rank 200 of 391 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.

The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.

• 197. Reading, PA. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $36,020 per year. BLS estimates 1,420 jobs. The location quotient is 0.89.
• 198. Chattanooga, TN-GA. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $36,010 per year. BLS estimates 2,490 jobs. The location quotient is 1.02.
• 199. Saginaw, MI. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $36,000 per year. BLS estimates 780 jobs. The location quotient is 1.08.
• 201. Lexington-Fayette, KY. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $35,970 per year. BLS estimates 2,300 jobs. The location quotient is 0.88.
• 202. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $35,950 per year. BLS estimates 5,390 jobs. The location quotient is 0.87.
• 203. Salisbury, MD. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $35,940 per year. BLS estimates 320 jobs. The location quotient is 0.65.

Where Cooks, Restaurant medians lead among metro areas

The rows below use the same SOC 35-2014, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same metro map type. Kahului-Wailuku, HI has the highest published median in this set, at $49,560 per year. State College, PA sits at $35,990 per year.

A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Cooks, Restaurant is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.

Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey limits, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.

• 1. Kahului-Wailuku, HI has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $49,560 per year, or $13,570 above State College, PA. BLS lists 1,770 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 2.65.
• 2. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $47,730 per year, or $11,740 above State College, PA. BLS lists 20,850 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 1.1.
• 3. Napa, CA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $47,320 per year, or $11,330 above State College, PA. BLS lists 1,270 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 1.8.
• 4. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $47,170 per year, or $11,180 above State College, PA. BLS lists 8,900 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 0.86.
• 5. Barnstable Town, MA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $46,930 per year, or $10,940 above State College, PA. BLS lists 1,760 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 2.07.
• 6. Portland-South Portland, ME has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $46,560 per year, or $10,570 above State College, PA. BLS lists 2,730 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 1.04.
• 7. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $46,460 per year, or $10,470 above State College, PA. BLS lists 1,090 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 1.28.
• 8. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA has a Cooks, Restaurant median of $46,450 per year, or $10,460 above State College, PA. BLS lists 590 jobs there, compared with 730 in State College, PA. The location quotient is 1.23.

Where BLS counts the most Cooks, Restaurant jobs

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has the largest published metro job estimate for Cooks, Restaurant in this same-source set, at 69,250 jobs. State College, PA has 730. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.

A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.

Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.

• 1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 69,250 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 68,520 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $43,740 per year, or $7,750 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 0.8.
• 2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has 54,320 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 53,590 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $44,460 per year, or $8,470 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 0.96.
• 3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has 41,690 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 40,960 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $38,930 per year, or $2,940 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 1.02.
• 4. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL has 37,210 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 36,480 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $36,920 per year, or $930 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 1.46.
• 5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 34,430 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 33,700 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $36,490 per year, or $500 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 0.94.
• 6. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX has 32,710 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 31,980 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $35,050 per year, or $940 below State College, PA. Its location quotient is 1.1.
• 7. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV has 29,670 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 28,940 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $42,920 per year, or $6,930 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 1.04.
• 8. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA has 29,040 estimated Cooks, Restaurant jobs, a gap of 28,310 jobs from State College, PA. Its median is $37,230 per year, or $1,240 above State College, PA. Its location quotient is 1.11.

Where Cooks, Restaurant takes the largest share of local jobs

Kahului-Wailuku, HI has the highest published location quotient in this metro set, at 2.65. State College, PA has 1.16. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.

A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.

Use this list to ask where Cooks, Restaurant is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.

• 1. Kahului-Wailuku, HI has a location quotient of 2.65, a gap of 1.49 from State College, PA. BLS lists 1,770 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $49,560 per year, or $13,570 above State College, PA.
• 2. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC has a location quotient of 2.58, a gap of 1.42 from State College, PA. BLS lists 3,420 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $35,190 per year, or $800 below State College, PA.
• 3. Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC has a location quotient of 2.33, a gap of 1.17 from State College, PA. BLS lists 1,730 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $36,820 per year, or $830 above State College, PA.
• 4. Naples-Marco Island, FL has a location quotient of 2.32, a gap of 1.16 from State College, PA. BLS lists 3,650 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $41,220 per year, or $5,230 above State College, PA.
• 5. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ has a location quotient of 2.21, a gap of 1.05 from State College, PA. BLS lists 3,370 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $40,250 per year, or $4,260 above State College, PA.
• 6. Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV has a location quotient of 2.19, a gap of 1.03 from State College, PA. BLS lists 22,530 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $38,800 per year, or $2,810 above State College, PA.
• 7. Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL has a location quotient of 2.11, a gap of 0.95 from State College, PA. BLS lists 2,400 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $36,600 per year, or $610 above State College, PA.
• 8. Bozeman, MT has a location quotient of 2.09, a gap of 0.93 from State College, PA. BLS lists 1,370 Cooks, Restaurant jobs and a median of $42,430 per year, or $6,440 above State College, PA.

How common Cooks, Restaurant is in State College, PA

BLS lists 730 Cooks, Restaurant jobs in State College, PA. It also lists 10.55 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.

The location quotient is 1.16. A value of 1 means Cooks, Restaurant has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is higher than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.

Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.

Cooks, Restaurant beside other roles in State College, PA

The all-occupations median in State College, PA is $49,220 per year. The Cooks, Restaurant median is $35,990 per year. Cooks, Restaurant is 26.9% below the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.

The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for State College, PA. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.

Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Cooks, Restaurant. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.

• 1. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, SOC 37-2011, has a State College, PA median of $35,850 per year. BLS lists 1,360 jobs and a location quotient of 1.39.
• 2. Waiters and Waitresses, SOC 35-3031, has a State College, PA median of $35,280 per year. BLS lists 1,350 jobs and a location quotient of 1.34.
• 3. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, SOC 53-7062, has a State College, PA median of $36,970 per year. BLS lists 470 jobs and a location quotient of 0.36.
• 4. Receptionists and Information Clerks, SOC 43-4171, has a State College, PA median of $34,860 per year. BLS lists 470 jobs and a location quotient of 1.17.
• 5. Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers, SOC 37-3011, has a State College, PA median of $37,990 per year. BLS lists 490 jobs and a location quotient of 1.15.
• 6. Stockers and Order Fillers, SOC 53-7065, has a State College, PA median of $33,890 per year. BLS lists 1,180 jobs and a location quotient of 0.94.
• 7. Nursing Assistants, SOC 31-1131, has a State College, PA median of $39,440 per year. BLS lists 540 jobs and a location quotient of 0.85.
• 8. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, SOC 25-9045, has a State College, PA median of $32,470 per year. BLS lists 520 jobs and a location quotient of 0.82.

The largest detailed roles in State College, PA

Fast Food and Counter Workers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded State College, PA table, at 2,320 jobs. Cooks, Restaurant has 730 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.

The all-occupations job count is 68,840. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.

A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Cooks, Restaurant's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.

• 1. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 2,320 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 1,590 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $27,790 per year, or $8,200 below Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 1.36.
• 2. Retail Salespersons has 1,710 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 980 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $29,240 per year, or $6,750 below Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.99.
• 3. General and Operations Managers has 1,470 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 740 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $91,120 per year, or $55,130 above Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.95.
• 4. Office Clerks, General has 1,460 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 730 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $43,920 per year, or $7,930 above Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 1.34.
• 5. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 1,380 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 650 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $29,950 per year, or $6,040 below Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.72.
• 6. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners has 1,360 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 630 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $35,850 per year, or $140 below Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 1.39.
• 7. Waiters and Waitresses has 1,350 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 620 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $35,280 per year, or $710 below Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 1.34.
• 8. Registered Nurses has 1,310 jobs in State College, PA, a gap of 580 from Cooks, Restaurant. Its median is $81,480 per year, or $45,490 above Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.87.

Published role medians around State College, PA

General and Operations Managers has the highest published median in the bounded State College, PA role table, at $91,120 per year. Cooks, Restaurant has $35,990 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.

The local all-occupations median is $49,220 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.

The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.

• 1. General and Operations Managers has a median of $91,120 per year in State College, PA, or $55,130 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,470 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.95.
• 2. Project Management Specialists has a median of $81,820 per year in State College, PA, or $45,830 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 470 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.99.
• 3. Registered Nurses has a median of $81,480 per year in State College, PA, or $45,490 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,310 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.87.
• 4. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $76,760 per year in State College, PA, or $40,770 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 540 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.87.
• 5. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education has a median of $73,250 per year in State College, PA, or $37,260 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 510 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 1.09.
• 6. Correctional Officers and Jailers has a median of $66,730 per year in State College, PA, or $30,740 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 770 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 4.55.
• 7. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers has a median of $61,120 per year in State College, PA, or $25,130 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 510 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.8.
• 8. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has a median of $56,130 per year in State College, PA, or $20,140 above Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 650 jobs, compared with 730 for Cooks, Restaurant. Its location quotient is 0.71.

Roles with the largest local share in State College, PA

Correctional Officers and Jailers has the highest location quotient in the bounded State College, PA role table, at 4.55. Cooks, Restaurant has 1.16. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.

A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.

The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Cooks, Restaurant with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.

• 1. Correctional Officers and Jailers has a location quotient of 4.55 in State College, PA, a gap of 3.39 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 770 jobs and a median of $66,730 per year, or $30,740 above Cooks, Restaurant.
• 2. Bartenders has a location quotient of 1.69 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.53 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 570 jobs and a median of $28,100 per year, or $7,890 below Cooks, Restaurant.
• 3. Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive has a location quotient of 1.51 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.35 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,140 jobs and a median of $47,700 per year, or $11,710 above Cooks, Restaurant.
• 4. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners has a location quotient of 1.39 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.23 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,360 jobs and a median of $35,850 per year, or $140 below Cooks, Restaurant.
• 5. Fast Food and Counter Workers has a location quotient of 1.36 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.20 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 2,320 jobs and a median of $27,790 per year, or $8,200 below Cooks, Restaurant.
• 6. Office Clerks, General has a location quotient of 1.34 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.18 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,460 jobs and a median of $43,920 per year, or $7,930 above Cooks, Restaurant.
• 7. Waiters and Waitresses has a location quotient of 1.34 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.18 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 1,350 jobs and a median of $35,280 per year, or $710 below Cooks, Restaurant.
• 8. Construction Laborers has a location quotient of 1.28 in State College, PA, a gap of 0.12 from Cooks, Restaurant. BLS lists 620 jobs and a median of $53,420 per year, or $17,430 above Cooks, Restaurant.

What $35,990 may mean after the State College, PA price level

BEA's 2024 all-items price index for State College, PA is 96.8. The U.S. level is 100. The local level is 3.2% below that mark. This is a broad price comparison. It is not a personal budget.

WageScope divides the $35,990 Cooks, Restaurant median by 96.8 divided by 100. The result is $37,194 in national-price dollars per year. This proxy keeps the math clear. It is not take-home pay and does not set a move target.

Housing is 85.7. Goods are 100.7. Utilities are 109.5. Other services are 97.7. The parts do not move as one. WageScope uses BEA's all-items index for the proxy and does not make its own basket.

How much care to use with the State College, PA row

The employment RSE for this Cooks, Restaurant row is 3.9%. The mean-wage RSE is 1.7%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.

The employment RSE belongs to the 730 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $35,500 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.

A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.

Use State College, PA wage data before you tailor

The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Cooks, Restaurant. It uses a State College, PA place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.

Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $35,990 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.

Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.

What the Cooks, Restaurant row for State College, PA does not claim

The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.

The 730 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 1.16 is not a growth score. Rank 200 of 391 is not a place score. The 96.8 price index is not a personal budget.

Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 35-2014 in BLS area 44300. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.