Pay by state · 51 areas
Cook, Short Order Salary by State (2026)
Cooks, Short Order earn the most in Arizona at $46,630 a year and the least in Pennsylvania at $19,910 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,880. The table below covers 48 states, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $46,630Arizona
- National median
- $35,880BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $19,910Pennsylvania
- Areas reporting
- 51of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for cooks, short order
Ranked on the state median among the 48 reporting states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Arizona$46,630
- 2Rhode Island$46,250
- 3Massachusetts$44,290
- 4Hawaii$43,110
- 5California$42,930
Lowest median pay
- 1Pennsylvania$19,910
- 2Indiana$21,940
- 3Alabama$22,330
- 4Texas$25,320
- 5Louisiana$26,260
All states
Cook, Short Order salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of cooks, short order OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AZArizona | $46,630 | $36,080 | $50,180 | 1,880 | $46,316 |
| 2 | RIRhode Island | $46,250 | $41,850 | $46,700 | N/A | $45,219 |
| 3 | MAMassachusetts | $44,290 | $33,620 | $50,690 | 4,760 | $41,879 |
| 4 | HIHawaii | $43,110 | $38,600 | $46,620 | 460 | $39,208 |
| 5 | CACalifornia | $42,930 | $38,250 | $45,020 | 30,740 | $38,773 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $42,760 | $36,000 | $50,870 | 1,700 | $39,958 |
| 7 | COColorado | $42,450 | $35,220 | $45,760 | 1,900 | $41,193 |
| 8 | CTConnecticut | $42,450 | $39,970 | $45,400 | N/A | $40,971 |
| 9 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $42,450 | $39,650 | $42,570 | 1,910 | $38,626 |
| 10 | NJNew Jersey | $40,720 | $36,360 | $46,900 | 850 | $37,425 |
| 11 | IDIdaho | $40,090 | $27,060 | $45,640 | 120 | $41,982 |
| 12 | VTVermont | $38,830 | $36,080 | $46,320 | 670 | $39,639 |
| 13 | OROregon | $38,550 | $35,470 | $40,250 | 1,780 | $37,296 |
| 14 | DEDelaware | $38,500 | $35,980 | $42,810 | N/A | $38,574 |
| 15 | MOMissouri | $38,490 | $32,150 | $38,490 | N/A | $42,382 |
| 16 | UTUtah | $38,010 | $34,280 | $44,970 | 320 | $38,447 |
| 17 | AKAlaska | $37,780 | $37,650 | $41,230 | 330 | $36,909 |
| 18 | NVNevada | $37,780 | $29,070 | $40,430 | 790 | $37,788 |
| 19 | ILIllinois | $37,440 | $34,700 | $38,280 | 2,630 | $37,456 |
| 20 | NMNew Mexico | $37,150 | $33,130 | $39,290 | 750 | $40,288 |
| 21 | MDMaryland | $36,800 | $36,090 | $43,010 | 3,250 | $35,061 |
| 22 | NYNew York | $35,550 | $33,870 | $42,800 | 18,300 | $32,941 |
| 23 | MEMaine | $35,360 | $34,190 | $37,680 | 1,120 | $36,435 |
| 24 | OKOklahoma | $35,130 | $30,840 | $36,010 | 760 | $39,992 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $34,510 | $30,300 | $36,450 | 2,560 | $35,867 |
| 26 | FLFlorida | $34,240 | $33,260 | $35,210 | 5,050 | $33,110 |
| 27 | IAIowa | $34,090 | $30,840 | $37,690 | 1,160 | $38,844 |
| 28 | MTMontana | $33,240 | $32,560 | $33,710 | N/A | $35,121 |
| 29 | SDSouth Dakota | $32,380 | $29,590 | $36,750 | 2,000 | $36,552 |
| 30 | NHNew Hampshire | $32,330 | $28,820 | $36,730 | 2,320 | $31,037 |
| 31 | MNMinnesota | $32,150 | $24,750 | $39,090 | 870 | $32,600 |
| 32 | KYKentucky | $31,840 | $26,430 | $39,040 | 650 | $35,315 |
| 33 | NCNorth Carolina | $31,290 | $27,990 | $34,700 | 3,170 | $33,172 |
| 34 | VAVirginia | $31,200 | $27,830 | $36,380 | 3,350 | $30,859 |
| 35 | NENebraska | $30,530 | $28,080 | $36,080 | 1,810 | $33,883 |
| 36 | ARArkansas | $30,510 | $27,940 | $34,260 | 160 | $35,094 |
| 37 | TNTennessee | $30,210 | $26,780 | $36,350 | 2,510 | $32,883 |
| 38 | SCSouth Carolina | $29,640 | $25,280 | $33,280 | 900 | $31,616 |
| 39 | OHOhio | $29,290 | $23,930 | $34,290 | 6,000 | $31,571 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $28,180 | $22,290 | $30,560 | 1,890 | $32,408 |
| 41 | WIWisconsin | $28,130 | $27,440 | $32,590 | 2,270 | $29,895 |
| 42 | WVWest Virginia | $27,440 | $24,380 | $31,380 | 620 | $30,660 |
| 43 | KSKansas | $27,400 | $26,530 | $28,250 | 640 | $30,421 |
| 44 | GAGeorgia | $26,870 | $21,430 | $37,430 | 3,870 | $27,904 |
| 45 | LALouisiana | $26,260 | $20,990 | $35,420 | 1,990 | $29,771 |
| 46 | TXTexas | $25,320 | $23,140 | $31,070 | 7,540 | $26,088 |
| 47 | GUGuam | $23,080 | $23,080 | $25,100 | 40 | N/A |
| 48 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,500 | $21,850 | $22,690 | 1,640 | N/A |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $22,330 | $21,220 | $28,800 | N/A | $25,140 |
| 50 | INIndiana | $21,940 | $21,440 | $31,240 | 2,940 | $23,508 |
| 51 | PAPennsylvania | $19,910 | $17,150 | $31,360 | 3,510 | $20,405 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For cooks, short order, the adjustment does not change the leader: Arizona is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $46,316.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Cook, Short Order pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays cooks, short order the most?
Arizona reports the highest median wage for cooks, short order at $46,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Rhode Island ($46,250) and Massachusetts ($44,290).
Which state pays cooks, short order the least?
Among the 48 reporting states and DC, Pennsylvania reports the lowest median for cooks, short order at $19,910 a year, $26,720 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $23,080 and Puerto Rico reports $22,500.
Is the highest-paying state the best for cooks, short order after cost of living?
Yes. Arizona stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $46,316 in national-average dollars from a raw $46,630. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.