Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2012

35-2015 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. Excludes "Fast Food Cooks" (35-2011).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
162,320 2.6 % $10.21 $21,240 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.88 $8.51 $9.48 $11.43 $14.04
Annual Wage (2) $16,390 $17,710 $19,730 $23,770 $29,200

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 101,100 1.13 $10.03 $20,860
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 15,700 4.49 $10.07 $20,940
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,840 0.81 $10.24 $21,290
Grocery Stores 7,520 0.30 $11.13 $23,150
Special Food Services 6,870 1.16 $10.63 $22,100

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 15,700 4.49 $10.07 $20,940
Special Food Services 6,870 1.16 $10.63 $22,100
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 101,100 1.13 $10.03 $20,860
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 8,840 0.81 $10.24 $21,290
Gasoline Stations 4,990 0.60 $9.15 $19,040

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 270 0.01 $13.49 $28,060
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 310 0.01 $13.25 $27,560
Management of Companies and Enterprises (8) (8) $13.02 $27,070
Traveler Accommodation 5,870 0.34 $11.96 $24,870
Activities Related to Real Estate 30 0.01 $11.92 $24,800

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 15,060 1.05 0.85 $11.61 $24,160
Texas 12,870 1.22 0.98 $9.27 $19,290
New York 9,660 1.13 0.91 $11.33 $23,560
Georgia 7,210 1.89 1.52 $9.05 $18,820
Illinois 6,920 1.23 0.98 $10.29 $21,400




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Hampshire 2,690 4.40 3.53 $8.92 $18,550
Louisiana 5,820 3.12 2.50 $8.85 $18,420
South Dakota 1,230 3.08 2.47 $9.39 $19,520
Hawaii 1,730 2.95 2.37 $14.37 $29,890
New Mexico 2,190 2.82 2.27 $9.70 $20,180




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 1,730 2.95 2.37 $14.37 $29,890
Nevada 2,250 2.00 1.60 $13.22 $27,490
Massachusetts 4,830 1.51 1.21 $13.12 $27,290
Alaska 140 0.44 0.35 $12.52 $26,050
District of Columbia 700 1.08 0.86 $12.17 $25,310





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 4,650 0.90 0.72 $11.59 $24,100
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 4,400 1.95 1.56 $9.15 $19,040
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 4,220 1.16 0.93 $10.65 $22,140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 3,090 0.80 0.64 $11.40 $23,700
Baltimore-Towson, MD 2,770 2.20 1.77 $10.23 $21,290
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,580 0.98 0.78 $10.06 $20,930
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,400 1.40 1.12 $12.64 $26,290
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,130 1.23 0.99 $11.05 $22,980
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 1,950 2.05 1.65 $9.71 $20,190
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 1,950 1.54 1.24 $11.49 $23,900




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Portsmouth, NH-ME 360 6.45 5.18 $8.88 $18,470
Rapid City, SD 320 5.33 4.28 $9.06 $18,830
Sheboygan, WI 270 4.86 3.90 $9.31 $19,350
Lafayette, LA 730 4.85 3.89 $8.88 $18,470
Ithaca, NY 210 4.20 3.37 $10.65 $22,160
Baton Rouge, LA 1,460 4.03 3.24 $8.41 $17,500
Pine Bluff, AR 140 3.89 3.12 $8.87 $18,440
Monroe, LA 280 3.79 3.04 $8.59 $17,870
Ocean City, NJ 130 3.58 2.88 $9.94 $20,680
Hattiesburg, MS 200 3.57 2.87 $8.40 $17,480