Cooks, Short Order Salary — US State Breakdown (2025)
BLS OES May 2025 · SOC 35-2015$35,880
US median (annual)
$36,120
US mean (annual)
$23,440
10th percentile
$46,460
90th percentile
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US Salary Overview
The national median wage for cooks, short order in the United States is $35,880 per year (gross, before tax), based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Around 139,000 people are employed in this occupation nationally. UK data is not available for this occupation — the UK's SOC 2020 classification has no direct equivalent. Before interviews, many candidates work through interview preparation guides for this kind of role.
US Salary Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual (gross) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23,440 | Entry level / lowest decile |
| 25th | $30,610 | Early career |
| 50th (median) | $35,880 | Typical pay |
| 75th | $42,450 | Experienced |
| 90th | $46,460 | Senior / highest decile |
Career Essentials
Median Salary by State
| State | Median salary | Mean salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $46,630 | $43,360 | 2,000 |
| Rhode Island | $46,250 | $43,410 | — |
| Massachusetts | $44,290 | $42,700 | 5,000 |
| Hawaii | $43,110 | $44,930 | 460 |
| California | $42,930 | $42,260 | 31,000 |
| Washington | $42,760 | $43,990 | 2,000 |
| Colorado | $42,450 | $44,170 | 2,000 |
| Connecticut | $42,450 | $42,250 | — |
| District of Columbia | $42,450 | $42,780 | 2,000 |
| New Jersey | $40,720 | $41,380 | 850 |
| Idaho | $40,090 | $39,740 | 120 |
| Vermont | $38,830 | $41,030 | 670 |
| Oregon | $38,550 | $39,790 | 2,000 |
| Delaware | $38,500 | $38,960 | — |
| Missouri | $38,490 | $37,390 | — |
| Utah | $38,010 | $37,990 | 320 |
| Alaska | $37,780 | $40,570 | 330 |
| Nevada | $37,780 | $35,100 | 790 |
| Illinois | $37,440 | $37,640 | 3,000 |
| New Mexico | $37,150 | $36,560 | 750 |
| Maryland | $36,800 | $38,290 | 3,000 |
| New York | $35,550 | $38,320 | 18,000 |
| Maine | $35,360 | $36,730 | 1,000 |
| Oklahoma | $35,130 | $32,860 | 760 |
| Michigan | $34,510 | $34,620 | 3,000 |
| Florida | $34,240 | $34,570 | 5,000 |
| Iowa | $34,090 | $34,960 | 1,000 |
| Montana | $33,240 | $33,420 | — |
| South Dakota | $32,380 | $34,180 | 2,000 |
| New Hampshire | $32,330 | $33,740 | 2,000 |
| Minnesota | $32,150 | $33,030 | 870 |
| Kentucky | $31,840 | $33,160 | 650 |
| North Carolina | $31,290 | $31,680 | 3,000 |
| Virginia | $31,200 | $32,600 | 3,000 |
| Nebraska | $30,530 | $33,080 | 2,000 |
| Arkansas | $30,510 | $31,560 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $30,210 | $31,620 | 3,000 |
| South Carolina | $29,640 | $29,340 | 900 |
| Ohio | $29,290 | $30,280 | 6,000 |
| Mississippi | $28,180 | $27,140 | 2,000 |
| Wisconsin | $28,130 | $30,050 | 2,000 |
| West Virginia | $27,440 | $28,120 | 620 |
| Kansas | $27,400 | $29,600 | 640 |
| Georgia | $26,870 | $29,370 | 4,000 |
| Louisiana | $26,260 | $29,110 | 2,000 |
| Texas | $25,320 | $27,610 | 8,000 |
| Guam | $23,080 | $24,920 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,500 | $22,540 | 2,000 |
| Alabama | $22,330 | $24,860 | — |
| Indiana | $21,940 | $26,850 | 3,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $19,910 | $25,130 | 4,000 |
Salary data is sourced from BLS OES May 2025. Figures represent gross pay before tax. This page is for reference only.
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Data: BLS OES, May 2025 · Page built 2026-07-18