Cooks, Short Order
Cooks, Short Order (SOC 35-2015) earn a median $35,880 a year ($17.25 an hour) in the United States, with 138,650 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Arizona.
What cooks, short order do
Short-order cooks make food to order from a limited menu of dishes that cook quickly, such as eggs, pancakes, sandwiches, soups, salads, and fries. They often work where food is served at counters or tables, and may take orders from customers and serve them directly. The skill lies in sequencing: a good short-order cook keeps several tickets on the griddle at once and finishes everything on a table's order at the same moment. Cooks also stock the line, stamp dates on stored food, clean the grill and counters between rushes, and sometimes take orders or ring up customers. The official classification excludes fast-food cooks, who are limited to a few basic items, and it covers a wider variety of foods. They also carve meats, bake breads or desserts, and brew coffee or tea as the menu requires.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 66 percent).
Also called: Barbecue Cook, Bed and Breakfast Cook (B&B Cook), Breakfast Cook, Breakfast Line Cook, Broiler Cook.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $11.27 | $14.71 | $17.25 | $20.41 | $22.34 | $17.37 | 138,650 |
| Annual | $23,440 | $30,610 | $35,880 | $42,450 | $46,460 | $36,120 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cooks, short order earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $15.29 | $17.35 | $22.42 | $24.12 | $24.13 | $20.85 | 1,880 | 0.58 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $31,790 | $36,080 | $46,630 | $50,180 | $50,180 | $43,360 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $15.36 | $20.12 | $22.24 | $22.45 | $23.04 | $20.87 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $31,940 | $41,850 | $46,250 | $46,700 | $47,920 | $43,410 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $15.65 | $16.17 | $21.29 | $24.37 | $25.86 | $20.53 | 4,760 | 1.31 | 1.47 |
| Annual | $32,550 | $33,620 | $44,290 | $50,690 | $53,780 | $42,700 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $17.71 | $18.56 | $20.73 | $22.41 | $29.64 | $21.60 | 460 | 0.74 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $36,840 | $38,600 | $43,110 | $46,620 | $61,640 | $44,930 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.25 | $18.39 | $20.64 | $21.64 | $22.67 | $20.32 | 30,740 | 1.69 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $35,880 | $38,250 | $42,930 | $45,020 | $47,150 | $42,260 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.25 | $18.39 | $20.64 | $21.64 | $22.67 | $20.32 | 30,740 | 1.69 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $35,880 | $38,250 | $42,930 | $45,020 | $47,150 | $42,260 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.50 | $16.28 | $17.09 | $20.58 | $22.38 | $18.42 | 18,300 | 1.89 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $32,240 | $33,870 | $35,550 | $42,800 | $46,550 | $38,320 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.51 | $11.13 | $12.18 | $14.94 | $17.46 | $13.28 | 7,540 | 0.54 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $21,850 | $23,140 | $25,320 | $31,070 | $36,320 | $27,610 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $10.70 | $11.51 | $14.08 | $16.49 | $18.57 | $14.56 | 6,000 | 1.08 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $22,260 | $23,930 | $29,290 | $34,290 | $38,620 | $30,280 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.12 | $15.99 | $16.46 | $16.93 | $17.92 | $16.62 | 5,050 | 0.51 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $31,450 | $33,260 | $34,240 | $35,210 | $37,260 | $34,570 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Corvallis, OR | Hourly | $14.27 | $19.49 | $25.97 | $26.21 | $28.42 | $23.36 | 50 | 1.33 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $29,680 | $40,540 | $54,020 | $54,510 | $59,110 | $48,580 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $19.02 | $22.41 | $24.46 | $25.92 | $26.76 | $23.83 | 830 | 0.40 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $39,550 | $46,610 | $50,870 | $53,900 | $55,660 | $49,560 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $15.65 | $19.64 | $24.12 | $24.12 | $24.13 | $21.87 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $32,550 | $40,850 | $50,180 | $50,180 | $50,180 | $45,480 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $22.30 | $22.41 | $23.14 | $28.94 | $32.59 | $25.27 | 110 | 1.51 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $46,390 | $46,620 | $48,140 | $60,200 | $67,790 | $52,560 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $18.55 | $19.26 | $22.33 | $23.20 | $24.49 | $21.92 | 700 | 3.43 | 3.85 |
| Annual | $38,580 | $40,070 | $46,450 | $48,260 | $50,940 | $45,590 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.28 | $19.26 | $21.00 | $21.63 | $21.64 | $20.40 | 12,410 | 1.98 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $38,030 | $40,060 | $43,680 | $44,990 | $45,020 | $42,440 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $15.89 | $16.74 | $17.00 | $21.18 | $24.01 | $18.91 | 9,990 | 1.05 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $33,040 | $34,820 | $35,360 | $44,060 | $49,930 | $39,330 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $15.65 | $16.06 | $19.04 | $24.50 | $25.86 | $20.00 | 4,460 | 1.65 | 1.85 |
| Annual | $32,550 | $33,400 | $39,600 | $50,950 | $53,780 | $41,600 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $18.93 | $20.96 | $22.02 | $22.67 | $24.84 | $22.24 | 4,430 | 1.87 | 2.09 |
| Annual | $39,380 | $43,610 | $45,790 | $47,150 | $51,670 | $46,250 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.71 | $19.06 | $20.44 | $22.62 | $19.24 | 3,850 | 1.23 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $36,840 | $39,650 | $42,520 | $47,060 | $40,010 | ||||
Top industries employing cooks, short order
Restaurants and Other Eating Places employ 66.4% of cooks, short order nationally (92,120 jobs) at a median $35,590 a year ($17.11 an hour), followed by Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) (7.6%) and Special Food Services (6.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places NAICS 722500 | 92,120 | 66.4% | $35,590 | $17.11 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) NAICS 4450A1 | 10,490 | 7.6% | $37,420 | $17.99 |
| Special Food Services NAICS 722300 | 9,200 | 6.6% | $39,050 | $18.78 |
| Gasoline Stations NAICS 457100 | 7,600 | 5.5% | $27,500 | $13.22 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) NAICS 722400 | 6,110 | 4.4% | $36,400 | $17.50 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (138,650). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $28,560 for cooks, short order in May 2021 and $35,880 in May 2025, with employment of 124,800 and 138,650.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $28,560 | $13.73 | 124,800 |
| May 2022 | $30,360 | $14.60 | 133,290 |
| May 2023 | $34,130 | $16.41 | 126,370 |
| May 2024 | $35,620 | $17.12 | 150,420 |
| May 2025 | $35,880 | $17.25 | 138,650 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona profile | $22.42 | $46,630 | $31,790 | $50,180 | 1,880 | 0.58 | 0.65 |
| 2 | Rhode Island profile | $22.24 | $46,250 | $31,940 | $47,920 | ** | ** | ** |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $21.29 | $44,290 | $32,550 | $53,780 | 4,760 | 1.31 | 1.47 |
| 4 | Hawaii profile | $20.73 | $43,110 | $36,840 | $61,640 | 460 | 0.74 | 0.83 |
| 5 | California profile | $20.64 | $42,930 | $35,880 | $47,150 | 30,740 | 1.69 | 1.89 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $20.56 | $42,760 | $34,650 | $55,660 | 1,700 | 0.48 | 0.54 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $20.41 | $42,450 | $32,030 | $64,840 | 1,900 | 0.66 | 0.74 |
| 8 | Connecticut profile | $20.41 | $42,450 | $34,610 | $46,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | District of Columbia profile | $20.41 | $42,450 | $39,650 | $47,060 | 1,910 | 2.72 | 3.05 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $19.58 | $40,720 | $33,540 | $51,440 | 850 | 0.20 | 0.22 |
| 11 | Idaho profile | $19.28 | $40,090 | $23,130 | $61,190 | 120 | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $18.67 | $38,830 | $34,990 | $47,760 | 670 | 2.20 | 2.46 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $18.54 | $38,550 | $30,090 | $54,870 | 1,780 | 0.91 | 1.02 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $18.51 | $38,500 | $33,040 | $42,810 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | Missouri profile | $18.50 | $38,490 | $29,810 | $46,440 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | Utah profile | $18.27 | $38,010 | $21,820 | $49,410 | 320 | 0.18 | 0.21 |
| 17 | Alaska profile | $18.16 | $37,780 | $34,830 | $47,600 | 330 | 1.01 | 1.13 |
| 18 | Nevada profile | $18.16 | $37,780 | $27,040 | $41,530 | 790 | 0.51 | 0.57 |
| 19 | Illinois profile | $18.00 | $37,440 | $31,200 | $45,950 | 2,630 | 0.43 | 0.48 |
| 20 | New Mexico profile | $17.86 | $37,150 | $29,240 | $45,010 | 750 | 0.87 | 0.97 |
| 21 | Maryland profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $31,840 | $44,540 | 3,250 | 1.18 | 1.32 |
| 22 | New York profile | $17.09 | $35,550 | $32,240 | $46,550 | 18,300 | 1.89 | 2.12 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $17.00 | $35,360 | $32,150 | $41,600 | 1,120 | 1.74 | 1.95 |
| 24 | Oklahoma profile | $16.89 | $35,130 | $25,290 | $36,270 | 760 | 0.44 | 0.50 |
| 25 | Michigan profile | $16.59 | $34,510 | $26,750 | $43,180 | 2,560 | 0.58 | 0.65 |
| 26 | Florida profile | $16.46 | $34,240 | $31,450 | $37,260 | 5,050 | 0.51 | 0.57 |
| 27 | Iowa profile | $16.39 | $34,090 | $24,960 | $46,650 | 1,160 | 0.74 | 0.83 |
| 28 | Montana profile | $15.98 | $33,240 | $29,890 | $36,310 | ** | ** | ** |
| 29 | South Dakota profile | $15.57 | $32,380 | $27,950 | $46,440 | 2,000 | 4.37 | 4.91 |
| 30 | New Hampshire profile | $15.54 | $32,330 | $24,140 | $49,020 | 2,320 | 3.39 | 3.81 |
| 31 | Minnesota profile | $15.46 | $32,150 | $23,150 | $44,460 | 870 | 0.29 | 0.33 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $15.31 | $31,840 | $22,860 | $44,880 | 650 | 0.32 | 0.36 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $15.04 | $31,290 | $23,350 | $38,210 | 3,170 | 0.64 | 0.72 |
| 34 | Virginia profile | $15.00 | $31,200 | $25,810 | $42,520 | 3,350 | 0.81 | 0.91 |
| 35 | Nebraska profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $28,080 | $41,430 | 1,810 | 1.77 | 1.98 |
| 36 | Arkansas profile | $14.67 | $30,510 | $26,000 | $37,140 | 160 | 0.13 | 0.14 |
| 37 | Tennessee profile | $14.52 | $30,210 | $22,880 | $39,240 | 2,510 | 0.77 | 0.86 |
| 38 | South Carolina profile | $14.25 | $29,640 | $22,670 | $34,480 | 900 | 0.39 | 0.44 |
| 39 | Ohio profile | $14.08 | $29,290 | $22,260 | $38,620 | 6,000 | 1.08 | 1.21 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $13.55 | $28,180 | $19,200 | $35,250 | 1,890 | 1.63 | 1.83 |
| 41 | Wisconsin profile | $13.52 | $28,130 | $22,550 | $39,080 | 2,270 | 0.77 | 0.86 |
| 42 | West Virginia profile | $13.19 | $27,440 | $20,120 | $36,210 | 620 | 0.88 | 0.99 |
| 43 | Kansas profile | $13.17 | $27,400 | $24,110 | $36,570 | 640 | 0.44 | 0.50 |
| 44 | Georgia profile | $12.92 | $26,870 | $21,430 | $41,010 | 3,870 | 0.79 | 0.89 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $12.63 | $26,260 | $19,690 | $40,530 | 1,990 | 1.03 | 1.15 |
| 46 | Texas profile | $12.18 | $25,320 | $21,850 | $36,320 | 7,540 | 0.54 | 0.60 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $10.74 | $22,330 | $20,500 | $31,220 | ** | ** | ** |
| 48 | Indiana profile | $10.55 | $21,940 | $20,760 | $36,260 | 2,940 | 0.92 | 1.03 |
| 49 | Pennsylvania profile | $9.57 | $19,910 | $17,150 | $40,460 | 3,510 | 0.58 | 0.65 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (35-2010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 35-2015 Cooks, Short Order.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 35-2015, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 35-2015.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.