Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in Texas make a median of $25,320 a year, or about $12.18 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $36K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $27,675 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 75.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $25K get you in Texas?
About cooks, short orders
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for cooks, short order in Texas runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 76% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $25K. Top earners bring in $36K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in Texas
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $33K | +31% | N/A |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $32K | +24% | 520 |
| Midland | $28K | +12% | 90 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $26K | +2% | 1,500 |
| Lubbock | $26K | +1% | 160 |
| Amarillo | $26K | +1% | 130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $25K | +0% | 1,770 |
| Odessa | $24K | -4% | 70 |
| Tyler | $23K | -10% | 170 |
| Longview | $23K | -10% | 180 |
| Abilene | $23K | -10% | 110 |
| Wichita Falls | $22K | -11% | N/A |
| San Angelo | $22K | -12% | 40 |
| El Paso | $22K | -15% | N/A |
| Laredo | $21K | -15% | 100 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, short order afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $25K, rent takes 76% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,311/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 108% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $25K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
Texas pays $25K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $28K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, short orders make in Texas?
The median is $25,320 a year, that works out to about $12 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,850, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $36,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $25K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,863/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 76% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $27,675 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.