Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in Indiana make a median of $21,940 a year, or about $10.55 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $23,897 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 72.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $22K get you in Indiana?
About cooks, short orders
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What this looks like in Indiana
Pay for cooks, short order in Indiana runs about 39% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 72.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, short orders.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indiana
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $22K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in Indiana
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne | $30K | +38% | 170 |
| Bloomington | $29K | +32% | 60 |
| Kokomo | $29K | +31% | 30 |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $28K | +30% | 70 |
| Michigan City-La Porte | $28K | +29% | 40 |
| Muncie | $28K | +28% | 50 |
| Terre Haute | $22K | +0% | 50 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $21K | -2% | N/A |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, short order afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $22K, rent takes 72.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, short orders in Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,246/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 92% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, short order a high-paying job in Indiana?
Local pay runs 39% below the national median — $22K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
Indiana pays $22K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $24K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, short orders make in Indiana?
The median is $21,940 a year, that works out to about $11 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,760, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $36,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $22K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,575/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 72.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooks, short order salary go in Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, short order salary is worth about $23,897 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, short orders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.