Cooks, Short Order salary in the U.S.
Cooks, Short Order in the U.S. earn a median of $35,880 a year ($17.25 an hour), based on BLS data for 138,650 workers.
Pay ranges from $23,440 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,460 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $36,120, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for cooks, short order in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $23,440 | $11.27 |
| 25th percentile | $30,610 | $14.71 |
| Median | $35,880 | $17.25 |
| 75th percentile | $42,450 | $20.41 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,460 | $22.34 |
| Average (mean) | $36,120 | $17.37 |
Half of cooks, short order earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $2,990 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $1,495 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,380 |
| Weekly | $690 |
| Hourly | $17.25 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Cooks, Short Order salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $46,630 | 1,880 |
| Rhode Island | $46,250 | n/a |
| Massachusetts | $44,290 | 4,760 |
| Hawaii | $43,110 | 460 |
| California | $42,930 | 30,740 |
| Washington | $42,760 | 1,700 |
| Colorado | $42,450 | 1,900 |
| Connecticut | $42,450 | n/a |
| District of Columbia | $42,450 | 1,910 |
| New Jersey | $40,720 | 850 |
| Idaho | $40,090 | 120 |
| Vermont | $38,830 | 670 |
| Oregon | $38,550 | 1,780 |
| Delaware | $38,500 | n/a |
| Missouri | $38,490 | n/a |
| Utah | $38,010 | 320 |
| Alaska | $37,780 | 330 |
| Nevada | $37,780 | 790 |
| Illinois | $37,440 | 2,630 |
| New Mexico | $37,150 | 750 |
| Maryland | $36,800 | 3,250 |
| New York | $35,550 | 18,300 |
| Maine | $35,360 | 1,120 |
| Oklahoma | $35,130 | 760 |
| Michigan | $34,510 | 2,560 |
| Florida | $34,240 | 5,050 |
| Iowa | $34,090 | 1,160 |
| Montana | $33,240 | n/a |
| South Dakota | $32,380 | 2,000 |
| New Hampshire | $32,330 | 2,320 |
| Minnesota | $32,150 | 870 |
| Kentucky | $31,840 | 650 |
| North Carolina | $31,290 | 3,170 |
| Virginia | $31,200 | 3,350 |
| Nebraska | $30,530 | 1,810 |
| Arkansas | $30,510 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $30,210 | 2,510 |
| South Carolina | $29,640 | 900 |
| Ohio | $29,290 | 6,000 |
| Mississippi | $28,180 | 1,890 |
| Wisconsin | $28,130 | 2,270 |
| West Virginia | $27,440 | 620 |
| Kansas | $27,400 | 640 |
| Georgia | $26,870 | 3,870 |
| Louisiana | $26,260 | 1,990 |
| Texas | $25,320 | 7,540 |
| Guam | $23,080 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,500 | 1,640 |
| Alabama | $22,330 | n/a |
| Indiana | $21,940 | 2,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,910 | 3,510 |
Best-paying metro areas for cooks, short order
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Corvallis, OR | $54,020 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,870 | 830 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $50,180 | n/a |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $48,140 | 110 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $46,450 | 700 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $45,990 | 1,660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $45,790 | 4,430 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $45,690 | 190 |
| Vallejo, CA | $45,360 | 240 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $44,780 | n/a |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $44,200 | 1,010 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $44,050 | 520 |
| Napa, CA | $43,930 | 150 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $43,790 | 70 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $43,680 | 12,410 |
Metro areas with the most cooks, short order
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 12,410 | $43,680 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,990 | $35,360 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 4,460 | $39,600 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 4,430 | $45,790 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 3,850 | $39,650 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 2,280 | $35,610 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 1,940 | $36,460 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 1,830 | $37,300 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,800 | $38,480 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,780 | $37,440 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,770 | $25,320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,660 | $45,990 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1,610 | $22,260 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1,500 | $25,720 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 1,410 | $34,730 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Restaurant | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| Food Preparation Worker | $35,320 | $16.98 |
| Cooks, Fast Food | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria | $37,450 | $18.01 |
| Cooks, All Other | $37,690 | $18.12 |
| Cooks, Private Household | $47,940 | $23.05 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $35,230 | $16.94 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $44,080 | $21.19 |
| Bartender | $34,340 | $16.51 |
| Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers | $33,980 | $16.34 |
| Dishwasher | $34,810 | $16.73 |
| Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop | $31,200 | $15.00 |
| Food Servers, Nonrestaurant | $35,360 | $17.00 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 35-2015. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, short order make in the U.S.?
The median salary for cooks, short order in the U.S. is $35,880 a year, or $17.25 an hour. Pay ranges from $23,440 for the lowest-paid 10% to $46,460 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid cooks, short order make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of cooks, short order in the U.S. earn at least $46,460 a year. The top 25% earn $42,450 or more.
What is the starting pay for cooks, short order in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $23,440 a year, and a quarter of cooks, short order earn $30,610 or less.
How many cooks, short order work in the U.S.?
About 138,650 cooks, short order are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.