Cooks, Short Order
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.
Also called: Broiler Cook · Cook · Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook) · Food and Beverage Attendant · Grill Cook · Line Cook
Median pay (national)
$35,620
$23,770–$46,010 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
150,420
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-5.6%
~20,600 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for cooks, short order shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $46,010 versus $23,770 at the bottom 10% — 1.9x. The median of $35,620 leaves roughly 29% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -5.6% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 20,600 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, Arizona pays the most for this role (median $46,240, +30% vs the national median), while Pennsylvania sits lowest at $18,400 — a 151% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
- Perform general cleaning activities in kitchen and dining areas.
- Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
- 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.
- Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
- Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
- Grill, cook, and fry foods such as french fries, eggs, and pancakes.
- Accept payments, and make change or write charge slips as necessary.
- Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
Tools & technology
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Inventory control software
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
Knowledge areas
- Food Production
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Communications and Media
- Chemistry
- Public Safety and Security
- Foreign Language