Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Cooks, Short Order Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 163 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$25,979
BLS median: $35,620
DOL Median Salary
$25,979
From 163 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$35,620
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
93
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
150,420
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$25,979
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$16,890$21,590$25,979$28,558$35,000

This figure comes from 163 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$35,620
BLS Survey Salary Range
$23,770$30,160$35,620$39,990$46,010

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 150,420 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 27.1% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Cooks, Short Order

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1ACG BBQ, LLC. dba Sonnys BBQ$26,85316-24.6%
2Wilderness Resorts Waterparks IncN/A26N/A

View all companies hiring Cooks, Short Order

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
Colorado$29,060-34.1%2
Nebraska$28,392-9%8
California$28,288-27.5%9
Massachusetts$27,362-38.9%8
Florida$26,853-21.8%13
Maryland$25,958-26.4%1
New Jersey$23,795-32.4%1
Delaware$22,360-30%2
New York$19,469-47.1%2
Virginia$18,961-37.4%2
Alabama$18,200-28.2%1
Texas$17,098-40.6%1
Tennessee$16,890-41.8%1

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Cooks, Short Order positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 97% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
Wilderness Resorts Waterparks IncNot specifiedN/A
ACG BBQ, LLC. dba Sonnys BBQNone$26,853

Salary by Industry

Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)

The highest-paying industry for Cooks, Short Order is Accommodation and Food Services at $26,711.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Cooks, Short Order make?

Based on 163 DOL filings, the median salary for a Cooks, Short Order is $25,979, ranging from $21,590 to $28,558.

What is the highest salary for a Cooks, Short Order?

The 90th percentile salary is $46,010 according to BLS data.

Does this data include all Cooks, Short Order salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Cooks, Short Order positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

Salary Check

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.