Cooks, short order salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23,440 | $11.27 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $35,880 | $17.25 |
| Mean (average) | $36,120 | $17.37 |
| 90th percentile | $46,460 | $22.34 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Cooks, short order pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 51 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $22,330 | $20,500 | $31,220 | ||
| Alaska | $37,780 | $34,830 | $47,600 | 330 | 1.13 |
| Arizona | $46,630 | $31,790 | $50,180 | 1,880 | 0.65 |
| Arkansas | $30,510 | $26,000 | $37,140 | 160 | 0.14 |
| California | $42,930 | $35,880 | $47,150 | 30,740 | 1.89 |
| Colorado | $42,450 | $32,030 | $64,840 | 1,900 | 0.74 |
| Connecticut | $42,450 | $34,610 | $46,040 | ||
| Delaware | $38,500 | $33,040 | $42,810 | ||
| District of Columbia | $42,450 | $39,650 | $47,060 | 1,910 | 3.05 |
| Florida | $34,240 | $31,450 | $37,260 | 5,050 | 0.57 |
| Georgia | $26,870 | $21,430 | $41,010 | 3,870 | 0.89 |
| Guam | $23,080 | $22,360 | $28,400 | 40 | 0.62 |
| Hawaii | $43,110 | $36,840 | $61,640 | 460 | 0.83 |
| Idaho | $40,090 | $23,130 | $61,190 | 120 | 0.15 |
| Illinois | $37,440 | $31,200 | $45,950 | 2,630 | 0.48 |
| Indiana | $21,940 | $20,760 | $36,260 | 2,940 | 1.03 |
| Iowa | $34,090 | $24,960 | $46,650 | 1,160 | 0.83 |
| Kansas | $27,400 | $24,110 | $36,570 | 640 | 0.5 |
| Kentucky | $31,840 | $22,860 | $44,880 | 650 | 0.36 |
| Louisiana | $26,260 | $19,690 | $40,530 | 1,990 | 1.15 |
| Maine | $35,360 | $32,150 | $41,600 | 1,120 | 1.95 |
| Maryland | $36,800 | $31,840 | $44,540 | 3,250 | 1.32 |
| Massachusetts | $44,290 | $32,550 | $53,780 | 4,760 | 1.47 |
| Michigan | $34,510 | $26,750 | $43,180 | 2,560 | 0.65 |
| Minnesota | $32,150 | $23,150 | $44,460 | 870 | 0.33 |
| Mississippi | $28,180 | $19,200 | $35,250 | 1,890 | 1.83 |
| Missouri | $38,490 | $29,810 | $46,440 | ||
| Montana | $33,240 | $29,890 | $36,310 | ||
| Nebraska | $30,530 | $28,080 | $41,430 | 1,810 | 1.98 |
| Nevada | $37,780 | $27,040 | $41,530 | 790 | 0.57 |
| New Hampshire | $32,330 | $24,140 | $49,020 | 2,320 | 3.81 |
| New Jersey | $40,720 | $33,540 | $51,440 | 850 | 0.22 |
| New Mexico | $37,150 | $29,240 | $45,010 | 750 | 0.97 |
| New York | $35,550 | $32,240 | $46,550 | 18,300 | 2.12 |
| North Carolina | $31,290 | $23,350 | $38,210 | 3,170 | 0.72 |
| Ohio | $29,290 | $22,260 | $38,620 | 6,000 | 1.21 |
| Oklahoma | $35,130 | $25,290 | $36,270 | 760 | 0.5 |
| Oregon | $38,550 | $30,090 | $54,870 | 1,780 | 1.02 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,910 | $17,150 | $40,460 | 3,510 | 0.65 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,500 | $21,840 | $23,350 | 1,640 | 1.96 |
| Rhode Island | $46,250 | $31,940 | $47,920 | ||
| South Carolina | $29,640 | $22,670 | $34,480 | 900 | 0.44 |
| South Dakota | $32,380 | $27,950 | $46,440 | 2,000 | 4.91 |
| Tennessee | $30,210 | $22,880 | $39,240 | 2,510 | 0.86 |
| Texas | $25,320 | $21,850 | $36,320 | 7,540 | 0.6 |
| Utah | $38,010 | $21,820 | $49,410 | 320 | 0.21 |
| Vermont | $38,830 | $34,990 | $47,760 | 670 | 2.46 |
| Virginia | $31,200 | $25,810 | $42,520 | 3,350 | 0.91 |
| Washington | $42,760 | $34,650 | $55,660 | 1,700 | 0.54 |
| West Virginia | $27,440 | $20,120 | $36,210 | 620 | 0.99 |
| Wisconsin | $28,130 | $22,550 | $39,080 | 2,270 | 0.86 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for cooks, short order
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 17,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for cooks, short order
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
- Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
- Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
- Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
- Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
- Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
- Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
- Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
Technology skills
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Inventory control software
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
Transferable skills for career changers: Time Management, Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making.
Common job titles: Broiler Cook, Cook, Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook), Food and Beverage Attendant, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Pizza Maker, Prep Cook (Preparation Cook), Short Order Cook, Snack Bar Cook.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, short order make?
The national median annual wage for cooks, short order was $35,880 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $23,440 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $46,460. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do cooks, short order need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is cooks, short order a growing career?
BLS projects employment of cooks, short order to change -5.2% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 17,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay cooks, short order the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Arizona ($46,630), Rhode Island ($46,250), Massachusetts ($44,290). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.