Cooks, Short Order Salary in Texas: $28,500 Average

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Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET

Average base salary, Texas

$28,500 / year

≈ $2,400 per month · $13.70 per hour

LocationOr metro areaOr industry (Grahall)Or city (Grahall)

BLS May 2025 state data for Texas · median $26,000

25th percentile
$24,000Average
$28,50075th percentile
$32,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Cooks, Short Order salary by state

Alabama$25,500

Alaska$42,000

Arizona$45,000

Arkansas$32,500

California$43,500

Colorado$45,500

Connecticut$43,500

Delaware$40,500

District of Columbia$44,500

Florida$36,000

Georgia$30,500

Hawaii$46,500

Idaho$41,000

Illinois$39,000

Indiana$28,000

Iowa$36,000

Kansas$30,500

Kentucky$34,500

Louisiana$30,000

Maine$38,000

Maryland$39,500

Massachusetts$44,000

Michigan$36,000

Minnesota$34,000

Mississippi$28,000

Missouri$38,500

Montana$34,500

Nebraska$34,000

Nevada$36,500

New Hampshire$35,000

New Jersey$43,000

New Mexico$38,000

New York$39,500

North Carolina$33,000

Ohio$31,500

Oklahoma$34,000

Oregon$41,000

Pennsylvania$26,000

Rhode Island$45,000

South Carolina$30,500

South Dakota$35,500

Tennessee$32,500

Texas$28,500

Utah$39,500

Vermont$42,500

Virginia$33,500

Washington$45,500

West Virginia$29,000

Wisconsin$31,000

About this role

Cooks, Short Order is a professional role within the function in the Food Preparation and Serving job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Cooks, Short Orders do

Typical education: High School Diploma

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.

Top skills: Time Management Reading Comprehension Active Listening Speaking Service Orientation Coordination

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Cooks, Short Order pay by experience level

Entry level$24,500

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$31,500

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$37,000

Mid-career median pay

Senior$44,000

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$48,000

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

-5.6%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

20,600

projected openings per year

Declining

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Cooks, Short Order salary by industry

Food Services and Drinking Places

107,430 workers

$37,500

Restaurants and Other Eating Places

92,120 workers

$37,000

Food and Beverage Retailers

10,530 workers

$39,000

Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)

10,490 workers

$39,000

Special Food Services

9,200 workers

$42,000

Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers

7,600 workers

$30,000

Gasoline Stations

7,600 workers

$30,000

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)

6,110 workers

$38,000

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries

5,240 workers

$35,000

Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

4,310 workers

$35,000

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Cooks, Short Order pays 7% below the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).

Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving

Food Servers, Nonrestaurant$37,500

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$38,000

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Dishwasher$35,500

Cooks, Restaurant$40,000

Cooks, All Other$40,500

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$34,000

Cooks, Fast Food$33,500

Waiters and Waitresses$41,500

Bartender$42,000

Careers related to Cooks, Short Order

Cooks, Restaurant$40,000

Cooks, Fast Food$33,500

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$40,000

Barista$33,500

Baker$40,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Cooks, Short Order make?

The average base salary for a Cooks, Short Order in the United States is $37,500 per year, or about $18.03 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $31,500 and $44,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Food Preparation and Serving roles?

The Food Preparation and Serving job family averages $40,500 across 18 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
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