Cooks, Short Order Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-2015 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$35,880
$17.25/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Cooks, Short Order is $35,880 per year ($17.25/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $30,597 and $42,453 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $46,467 per year. There are approximately 138,650 cooks, short order employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-5.6%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
21K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
151K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
92K
$35,590
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
10K
$37,420
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
9K
$39,050
Gasoline Stations
NAICS 457100
8K
$27,500
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)
NAICS 722400
6K
$36,400
Wage range across top 5 industries: $27,500 to $39,050 (42% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$11.27
$23,442
P25
$14.71
$30,597
P50MEDIAN
$17.25
$35,880
P75
$20.41
$42,453
P90
$22.34
$46,467
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cooks, short order salary?
The national median salary for Cooks, Short Order is $35,880 per year ($17.25/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $30,597 and $42,453 annually.
How much do top-earning cooks, short order make?
The 90th percentile salary for Cooks, Short Order is $46,467 per year ($22.34/hr). The 75th percentile is $42,453 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for cooks, short order?
Entry-level Cooks, Short Order (10th percentile) earn approximately $23,442 per year ($11.27/hr). The 25th percentile is $30,597 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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