SOC 35-2015.00

    Cooks, Short Order

    Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time.

    Median pay
    $35,880
    Growth
    -5.2%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    17,400
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $23,440
    Median
    $35,880
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $46,460
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    138,650 people work in this occupation.

    What cooks, short order do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    86 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    0 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    21 / 100
    Social (S)
    37 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    45 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    56 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCE. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Processing Information
    66
    Getting Information
    60
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    57
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    57
    Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information
    55
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    55
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    54
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    53
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    53
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    52
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Time Management
    • Coordination
    • Service Orientation
    • Speaking
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Judgment and Decision Making

    Knowledge

    • Food Production
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Production and Processing
    • Communications and Media
    • Chemistry
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Foreign Language
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Trunk Strength
    • Information Ordering
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Control Precision
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Selective Attention

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self-Control
    • Cooperation
    • Social Orientation
    • Optimism
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity

    Also called

    Barbecue Cook · Bed and Breakfast Cook (B&B Cook) · Breakfast Cook · Breakfast Line Cook · Broiler Cook · Chuck Wagon Cook · Cook · Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook) · Food and Beverage Attendant · Food Clerk

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What cooks, short order may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

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    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.