19. Tennessee
Annual median wage: $24,540
Cost of living index: 89.8
Employment: 3,120
We all know Tennessee has a lot of food trip destinations, (hello Nashville!), so this one should not be surprising. The state also has one of the lowest cost of living rates in America. Their living expenses are so cheap they look like you can sustain a living no matter how small your salary is. Plus, Tennessee also has employment rates equating to a very high demand for chefs and head cooks, so why should you even look elsewhere?