Short Order Cook Schools, Salaries, and Job Data

Job Numbers and Growth

There are an estimated 195,000 short order cooks nationally. Recent data shows the joblessness for workers is very high compared to other jobs. An estimated 9% of employees were not able to find a job in 2008.

Area Job Conditions

The highest density of short order cooks are found in Ocean City (New Jersey), Lancaster (Pennsylvania), and Athens (Georgia). The lowest density occurs around Lexington (Kentucky), Elkhart (Indiana), and Sarasota (Florida).

Compensation for workers is highst in Asheville (North Carolina), New Haven (Connecticut), and Oakland (California), and is the lowest in Jackson (Mississippi), McAllen (Texas), and Houma (Louisiana).

Training and Education

Employers tend to prefer to hire employees that have short-term on-the-job training. in 5% of cases, short order cooks have four year degrees or better. Among workers 19% pursued some additional career education without completing a bachelor's degree. In 77% of cases, employees have only a high school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Short order cooks working part-time are about 30% of the total. About 2% of workers work on their own.

Short Order Cooks: An Introductory Video

Short Order Cooks Around the Country

In the list below, each metro area is rated for the relative popularity of short order cooks compared to other locations (that is, jobs per population). Single or double up or down arrows indicate the relative popularity in that location. Within each state listing, metro areas are sorted by the actual number of jobs for short order cooks.

Alabama

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Birmingham	$17,000	510
Huntsville	$17,000	240
Mobile	$16,000	230
Anniston	$16,000	120
Decatur	$18,000	100

Alaska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Anchorage	$23,000	410

Arizona

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Phoenix	$21,000	1,850
Tucson	$19,000	1,310
Flagstaff	$19,000	260
Prescott	$19,000	190

Arkansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Little Rock	$19,000	740
Fayetteville	$18,000	210
Jonesboro	$19,000	110
Hot Springs	$19,000	30

California

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Santa Ana	$23,000	1,620
Sacramento	$22,000	1,590
San Diego	$23,000	1,430
San Francisco	$25,000	1,160
Riverside	$22,000	990
San Jose	$22,000	700
Oakland	$26,000	570
Oxnard	$23,000	450
Bakersfield	$22,000	340
Fresno	$22,000	320
Santa Barbara	$24,000	270
Salinas	$23,000	160
Santa Cruz	$24,000	140
Chico	$21,000	120
Visalia	$20,000	110
Santa Rosa	$24,000	90
Hanford	$24,000	80
Redding	$20,000	40

Colorado

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Denver	$21,000	1,590
Colorado Springs	$21,000	280
Fort Collins	$18,000	240
Boulder	$21,000	180
Greeley	$20,000	40
Pueblo	$16,000	40

Connecticut

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Bridgeport	$22,000	690
New Haven	$25,000	540
Hartford	$24,000	450
Norwich	$25,000	120
Danbury	$26,000	90
Waterbury	$20,000	80

Delaware

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Wilmington	$19,000	310

District of Columbia

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Washington	$22,000	4,080

Florida

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Tampa	$22,000	650
Orlando	$22,000	620
Miami	$21,000	590
Fort Lauderdale	$18,000	480
Cape Coral	$21,000	400
Jacksonville	$19,000	330
Tallahassee	$17,000	290
West Palm Beach	$22,000	240
Ocala	$18,000	60
Sarasota	$19,000	50
Gainesville	$20,000	40

Georgia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Atlanta	$18,000	3,630
Athens	$19,000	420
Augusta	$16,000	370
Savannah		220
Columbus	$16,000	190
Valdosta	$17,000	160
Dalton	$18,000	60

Hawaii

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Honolulu	$24,000	800

Idaho

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Coeur Dalene	$19,000	80

Illinois

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Chicago	$21,000	3,290
Peoria	$19,000	180
Champaign	$18,000	90

Indiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Indianapolis	$20,000	780
Gary	$20,000	440
South Bend	$19,000	300
Terre Haute	$16,000	270
Fort Wayne	$18,000	260
Evansville	$18,000	140
Anderson	$17,000	130
Lafayette	$18,000	120
Muncie	$17,000	110
Kokomo	$20,000	60
Elkhart	$17,000	40
Columbus	$18,000	40

Iowa

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Des Moines	$19,000	210
Davenport	$20,000	180
Dubuque	$18,000	80

Kansas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Wichita	$18,000	400
Topeka	$17,000	220
Lawrence	$18,000	160

Kentucky

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Louisville	$16,000	1,760
Lexington	$19,000	80
Bowling Green	$18,000	50

Louisiana

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New Orleans	$19,000	900
Baton Rouge	$15,000	720
Shreveport	$17,000	360
Lafayette	$19,000	260
Houma	$15,000	170

Maine

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Portland	$22,000	350
Bangor	$18,000	80

Maryland

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Baltimore	$22,000	1,850
Bethesda	$22,000	440
Hagerstown	$20,000	240
Cumberland	$19,000	90

Massachusetts

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Boston	$26,000	1,800
Springfield	$22,000	420
Haverhill	$23,000	300
Lowell	$24,000	50
Brockton	$24,000	40

Michigan

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Warren	$20,000	2,310
Detroit	$19,000	1,000
Grand Rapids	$19,000	630
Ann Arbor	$21,000	410
Flint	$22,000	400
Bay City	$20,000	130
Kalamazoo	$20,000	130
Niles	$22,000	120
Muskegon	$24,000	70
Monroe	$20,000	70
Battle Creek	$20,000	50

Minnesota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Minneapolis	$23,000	1,600
Duluth	$18,000	370
St Cloud	$21,000	190
Rochester	$21,000	130

Mississippi

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Jackson	$15,000	390
Gulfport	$19,000	130

Missouri

Location	Median Pay	Workers
St Louis	$21,000	1,490
Kansas City	$20,000	1,070
Columbia	$17,000	230
Springfield	$17,000	210
Jefferson City	$17,000	130

Nebraska

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Omaha	$21,000	870
Lincoln	$19,000	330

Nevada

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Las Vegas	$27,000	2,700
Reno	$22,000	360
Carson City	$21,000	30

New Hampshire

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Nashua	$21,000	350
Rochester	$22,000	130
Portsmouth	$19,000	100

New Jersey

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Newark	$21,000	1,420
Camden	$21,000	1,030
Edison	$24,000	810
Trenton	$22,000	470
Vineland	$17,000	240
Ocean City	$25,000	240
Atlantic City	$22,000	200

New Mexico

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Albuquerque	$21,000	520
Santa Fe	$22,000	110
Las Cruces	$19,000	60

New York

Location	Median Pay	Workers
New York	$25,000	3,510
Nassau	$25,000	900
Rochester	$20,000	800
Buffalo	$20,000	730
Albany	$21,000	300
Syracuse	$23,000	250
Poughkeepsie	$23,000	230
Binghamton	$20,000	50
Ithaca	$19,000	30

North Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Charlotte	$21,000	1,980
Wilmington	$17,000	650
Greensboro	$19,000	600
Raleigh	$18,000	600
Durham	$19,000	580
Winston Salem	$18,000	420
Hickory	$20,000	190
Fayetteville	$17,000	180
Asheville	$29,000	160
Jacksonville	$18,000	160

North Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Fargo	$20,000	240
Grand Forks	$19,000	100
Bismarck	$18,000	60

Ohio

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Cincinnati	$20,000	970
Cleveland	$19,000	950
Columbus	$20,000	740
Dayton	$20,000	710
Toledo	$19,000	650
Akron	$21,000	630
Youngstown	$18,000	380
Canton	$19,000	220
Springfield	$20,000	40

Oklahoma

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Oklahoma City	$17,000	540
Tulsa	$17,000	410

Oregon

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Portland	$22,000	780
Eugene	$20,000	280
Medford	$20,000	80

Pennsylvania

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Philadelphia	$23,000	2,910
Pittsburgh	$19,000	1,850
Lancaster	$20,000	1,510
Harrisburg	$21,000	860
Allentown	$20,000	690
Scranton	$22,000	520
Reading	$21,000	450
Erie	$21,000	290
State College	$19,000	280
York	$22,000	210
Johnstown	$17,000	190
Altoona	$19,000	120
Williamsport	$18,000	100
Lebanon	$23,000	100

Rhode Island

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Providence	$22,000	1,040

South Carolina

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Charleston	$19,000	850
Columbia	$16,000	670
Spartanburg	$17,000	410
Greenville	$18,000	350
Myrtle Beach	$21,000	180

South Dakota

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Sioux Falls	$20,000	250
Rapid City	$18,000	170

Tennessee

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Memphis	$19,000	1,030
Nashville	$18,000	520
Knoxville	$18,000	350
Chattanooga	$18,000	290
Clarksville	$15,000	170

Texas

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Dallas	$22,000	1,440
Houston	$20,000	1,020
Fort Worth	$19,000	650
San Antonio	$21,000	440
Austin	$20,000	410
Mcallen	$15,000	220
Corpus Christi	$15,000	140
Lubbock	$18,000	110
El Paso	$18,000	100
Tyler	$20,000	90
Laredo	$16,000	60
Texarkana	$16,000	40
College Station	$15,000	40

Utah

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
St George	$18,000	50

Vermont

Location	Median Pay	Workers	Popularity
Burlington	$22,000	270

Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Virginia Beach	$20,000	670
Richmond	$19,000	570
Roanoke	$19,000	230
Blacksburg	$18,000	180
Charlottesville	$24,000	110
Winchester	$18,000	60
Harrisonburg	$20,000	50

Washington

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Seattle	$24,000	610
Spokane	$22,000	160
Tacoma	$25,000	150
Olympia	$22,000	110
Bremerton	$23,000	90
Yakima	$21,000	80
Bellingham	$23,000	40

West Virginia

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Wheeling	$20,000	120
Parkersburg	$17,000	90
Charleston	$19,000	70
Huntington	$18,000	50
Morgantown	$16,000	30

Wisconsin

Location	Median Pay	Workers
Milwaukee	$20,000	700
Madison	$20,000	700
Green Bay	$20,000	350
La Crosse	$22,000	270
Eau Claire	$20,000	170
Appleton	$19,000	150
Janesville	$21,000	80

Our short order cook career and school information is provided by CTI Career Search.