Cooks, Short Order Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for cooks, short order in the U.S. is $35,880 ($17.25 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $35,880
- Mean annual wage
- $36,120
- Median hourly wage
- $17.25
- Employment
- 138,650
138,650 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23,440 | $11.27 |
| 25th percentile | $30,610 | $14.71 |
| Median (50th) | $35,880 | $17.25 |
| 75th percentile | $42,450 | $20.41 |
| 90th percentile | $46,460 | $22.34 |
Highest-paying states for cooks, short order
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $46,630 | 1,880 |
| Rhode Island | $46,250 | — |
| 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 | — |
| District of Columbia | $42,450 | 1,910 |
| New Jersey | $40,720 | 850 |
Lowest-paying states
- Pennsylvania: $19,910 median annual wage
- Indiana: $21,940 median annual wage
- Alabama: $22,330 median annual wage
- Texas: $25,320 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $26,260 median annual wage
About this occupation
Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.
Typical tasks
- Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
- Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
- Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
- Order supplies and stock them on shelves.
- Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
- Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 27.0% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 42.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 17.5% |
| Associate's degree | 6.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 5.8% |
| Master's degree | 0.9% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.