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. Excludes “Cooks, Fast Food” (35-2011).
National median · BLS
$35,880
▲ +0.73%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$36,120
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
138,650
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Cooks, Short Order
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$23,440
25th
$30,610
Median (50th)
$35,880
75th
$42,450
90th — top pay
$46,460
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Cooks, Short Order
BLS projects employment of cooks, short order to decline 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 17,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
138,700 → 131,500
-7,200 jobs
Projected change
-5.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
17,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Cooks, Short Order salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Cooks, Short Order
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.1
Reading Comprehension3.1
Time Management3.1
Coordination3.0
Service Orientation3.0
Speaking3.0
Critical Thinking2.9
Monitoring2.9
Complex Problem Solving2.6
Judgment and Decision Making2.6
Top knowledge areas
Food Production4.0
Customer and Personal Service3.4
English Language3.2
Production and Processing2.6
Communications and Media2.5
Chemistry2.4
Public Safety and Security2.3
Foreign Language2.2
Software and technology used
Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants ProFoodman Home-DeliveryInventory control softwarePlexis Software Plexis POSRestaurantPlus PRO
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What cooks, short order do
Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
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.
Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
Also called
CookGrill CookLine CookShort Order CookBroiler CookDeli Cook (Delicatessen Cook)Food and Beverage AttendantPizza MakerPrep Cook (Preparation Cook)Snack Bar Cook
More job titles for this occupation (19)
Barbecue CookBed and Breakfast Cook (B&B Cook)Breakfast CookBreakfast Line CookChuck Wagon CookFood ClerkGriddle AttendantGriddle CookGrill AssociateGrill AttendantGrill Line CookGrill PersonGrill Prep Cook (Grill Preparation Cook)Hash SlingerHasherPizza CookPrepared Foods ClerkSandwich ArtistShort Order Fry Cook
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Cooks, Short Order, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $35,880.
