State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Cook, Short Order Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Cooks, Short Order earn a median of $35,880 per year ($17.25/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 5.6% through 2034, with about 20,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 35-2015Food Preparation and Serving RelatedLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $35,880
- Projected growth
- -5.6%
- Openings a year
- 20,600
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Broiler Cook, Cook, Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook), Food and Beverage Attendant, Grill Cook, Line Cook.
How much do Cooks, Short Order make?
10th percentile$23,440
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$30,610
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$35,880
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$42,450
Upper quartile
90th percentile$46,460
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $35,880 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.25/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $36,120 |
| People employed | 138,650 |
Versus all US occupations
At $35,880, Cooks, Short Order earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,100 a year.
Versus food preparation and serving related occupations
The median is typical for the Food Preparation and Serving Related group, where the middle occupation pays $35,275.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $46,460 or more while the bottom 10% earn $23,440, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 4% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Arizona pays the most at $46,630, and still leads at $46,316 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Cooks, Short Order the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $46,630 | $46,316 | 1,880 |
| Rhode Island | $46,250 | $45,219 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $44,290 | $41,879 | 4,760 |
| Hawaii | $43,110 | $39,208 | 460 |
| California | $42,930 | $38,773 | 30,740 |
| Washington | $42,760 | $39,958 | 1,700 |
| Colorado | $42,450 | $41,193 | 1,900 |
| Connecticut | $42,450 | $40,971 | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $42,450 | $38,626 | 1,910 |
| New Jersey | $40,720 | $37,425 | 850 |
Is Cook, Short Order a growing career?
Cooks, Short Order-5.6%
All US occupations3.1%
-5.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Cooks, Short Order to change -5.6% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 8,400 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 20,600 openings are projected each year, 13.6% of the 151,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of cooks is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of cooks varies by occupation (see table).
Population and income growth are expected to result in greater consumer demand for food at a variety of dining places. People will continue to eat out, buy takeout meals, or have food delivered. New restaurants, cafeterias, and catering services are expected to open, requiring more cooks to prepare meals for this increased consumer demand.
How to become a Cook, Short Order
Most cooks learn their skills through on-the-job training and work-related experience. Although no formal education is typically required, some cooks attend culinary schools. Others attend vocational or apprenticeship programs.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as cooks, short order.
- High School Diploma66.4%
- Less than a High School Diploma14.4%
- Some College Courses9.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate7.4%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)2.4%
What does a Cook, Short Order do?
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.
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.
Day-to-day tasks
- Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
- Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
- Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
- Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
- Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
- 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.
- Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking2.9/5
- Monitoring2.9/5
- Active Learning2.4/5
- Writing2.3/5
- Mathematics2.1/5
Transferable skills
- Time Management3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Service Orientation3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.6/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6/5
- Instructing2.4/5
- Persuasion2.3/5
Tools and software
- Inventory management software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Cook, Short Order?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary6.1
Investigative1.0
Artistic2.3
Social3.2
Enterprisingprimary3.7
Conventionalprimary4.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Cook, Short Order: frequently asked questions
How much do Cooks, Short Order make?
Cooks, Short Order earn a median of $35,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 30% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.25/hr. The middle half earn between $30,610 and $42,450. The top 10% earn $46,460 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cook, Short Order?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Cooks, Short Order, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 66.4% hold high school diploma.
Is Cook, Short Order a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.6% over 2024–2034, a loss of 8,400 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 20,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cook, Short Order do?
Cooks season and prepare foods, including soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. A core O*NET task: clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
Which states pay Cooks, Short Order the most?
The highest state medians for Cooks, Short Order are Arizona ($46,630), Rhode Island ($46,250), Massachusetts ($44,290) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Cook, Short Order?
O*NET scores Cooks, Short Order highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.