Salary comparison
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria: Mount Vernon vs Santa Rosa
Mount Vernon, WA pays about 9.2% more for cooks, institution and cafeteria on paper — $51,620 vs $47,260. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Mount Vernon comes out ahead by $4,360 a year in real buying power.
Mount Vernon, WA
$51,620
$44,470
$60,450
$24.82
100
$51,620/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Rosa, CA
$47,260
$43,680
$51,990
$22.72
100
$47,260/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $4,360 a year (9.2%) in favor of Mount Vernon. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Mount Vernon runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Rosa sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Mount Vernon is the better deal by $4,360 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Rosa to Mount Vernon for this role, the raise needs to beat 9.2% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do cooks, institution and cafeteria earn more, Mount Vernon or Santa Rosa?
Mount Vernon pays $51,620 on median — about 9.2% more than Santa Rosa ($47,260). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Mount Vernon. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Mount Vernon gives you roughly$51,620 of real buying power versus $47,260 in the other city.