Cooks, Short Order Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for cooks, short order is $35,880, or $17.25 per hour. About 138,650 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $46,630 in Arizona to $19,910 in Pennsylvania.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $46,630 | $22.42 | 1,880 | 0.65 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $46,250 | $22.24 | — | — |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $44,290 | $21.29 | 4,760 | 1.47 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $43,110 | $20.73 | 460 | 0.83 |
| 5 | California | $42,930 | $20.64 | 30,740 | 1.89 |
| 6 | Washington | $42,760 | $20.56 | 1,700 | 0.54 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $42,450 | $20.41 | 1,910 | 3.05 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $42,450 | $20.41 | — | — |
| 9 | Colorado | $42,450 | $20.41 | 1,900 | 0.74 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $40,720 | $19.58 | 850 | 0.22 |
| 11 | Idaho | $40,090 | $19.28 | 120 | 0.15 |
| 12 | Vermont | $38,830 | $18.67 | 670 | 2.46 |
| 13 | Oregon | $38,550 | $18.54 | 1,780 | 1.02 |
| 14 | Delaware | $38,500 | $18.51 | — | — |
| 15 | Missouri | $38,490 | $18.50 | — | — |
| 16 | Utah | $38,010 | $18.27 | 320 | 0.21 |
| 17 | Nevada | $37,780 | $18.16 | 790 | 0.57 |
| 18 | Alaska | $37,780 | $18.16 | 330 | 1.13 |
| 19 | Illinois | $37,440 | $18.00 | 2,630 | 0.48 |
| 20 | New Mexico | $37,150 | $17.86 | 750 | 0.97 |
| 21 | Maryland | $36,800 | $17.69 | 3,250 | 1.32 |
| 22 | New York | $35,550 | $17.09 | 18,300 | 2.12 |
| 23 | Maine | $35,360 | $17.00 | 1,120 | 1.95 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $35,130 | $16.89 | 760 | 0.50 |
| 25 | Michigan | $34,510 | $16.59 | 2,560 | 0.65 |
| 26 | Florida | $34,240 | $16.46 | 5,050 | 0.57 |
| 27 | Iowa | $34,090 | $16.39 | 1,160 | 0.83 |
| 28 | Montana | $33,240 | $15.98 | — | — |
| 29 | South Dakota | $32,380 | $15.57 | 2,000 | 4.91 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $32,330 | $15.54 | 2,320 | 3.81 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $32,150 | $15.46 | 870 | 0.33 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $31,840 | $15.31 | 650 | 0.36 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $31,290 | $15.04 | 3,170 | 0.72 |
| 34 | Virginia | $31,200 | $15.00 | 3,350 | 0.91 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $30,530 | $14.68 | 1,810 | 1.98 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $30,510 | $14.67 | 160 | 0.14 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $30,210 | $14.52 | 2,510 | 0.86 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $29,640 | $14.25 | 900 | 0.44 |
| 39 | Ohio | $29,290 | $14.08 | 6,000 | 1.21 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $28,180 | $13.55 | 1,890 | 1.83 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $28,130 | $13.52 | 2,270 | 0.86 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $27,440 | $13.19 | 620 | 0.99 |
| 43 | Kansas | $27,400 | $13.17 | 640 | 0.50 |
| 44 | Georgia | $26,870 | $12.92 | 3,870 | 0.89 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $26,260 | $12.63 | 1,990 | 1.15 |
| 46 | Texas | $25,320 | $12.18 | 7,540 | 0.60 |
| 47 | Alabama | $22,330 | $10.74 | — | — |
| 48 | Indiana | $21,940 | $10.55 | 2,940 | 1.03 |
| 49 | Pennsylvania | $19,910 | $9.57 | 3,510 | 0.65 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, short order make?
The median annual wage for cooks, short order in the United States is $35,880, or $17.25 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $23,440, and the top 10% earn $46,460.
How many cooks, short order are employed in the U.S.?
About 138,650 people work as cooks, short order nationwide.
Which state pays cooks, short order the most?
Arizona pays the most at a median of $46,630, followed by Rhode Island ($46,250) and Massachusetts ($44,290).
Which state pays cooks, short order the least?
Pennsylvania has the lowest median at $19,910.
Where are cooks, short order jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is South Dakota at 4.91×.