Cooks, Short Order: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Cooks, Short Order fall under the Food Preparation and Serving category in the U.S. occupational classification. Cooks, Short Order earn a median salary of $35,620 per year, ranking in the top 94% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -5.6% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do cooks, short order earn?

The median annual wage for cooks, short order is $35,620. That puts cooks, short order at #764 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is cooks, short order a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for cooks, short order is -5.6%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 151K positions in 2024 to 142K in 2034, a net change of -9K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do cooks, short order do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working cooks, short order, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
2. 2.Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
3. 3.Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
4. 4.Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
5. 5.Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
6. 6.Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
7. 7.Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
8. 8.Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.

Top skills for cooks, short order

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become cooks, short order?

Many cooks, short order enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

Related careers your child might also consider

• Chefs and Head Cooks
  $60,990 median
• Cooks, Private Household
  $44,530 median
• First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
  $42,010 median
• Cooks, Restaurant
  $36,830 median
• Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
  $36,450 median
• Cooks, All Other
  $36,210 median

Common questions parents ask about cooks, short order