Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in Montana make a median of $33,240 a year, or about $15.98 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $34,268 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 49.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $33K get you in Montana?
About cooks, short orders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Montana
Cooks, short order pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 48.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $6K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in Montana
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | $32K | -3% | N/A |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, short order afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 48.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,793/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
Montana pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, short orders make in Montana?
The median is $33,240 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,890, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $36,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,323/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 48.6% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $34,268 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.