Cooks, Short Order Salary in Wilmington, NC
Cooks, Short Orders in Wilmington, NC make a median of $30,790 a year, or about $14.8 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $35K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $31,933 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month — about 66.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $31K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction.
About cooks, short orders
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $35K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $46K | +30% | N/A |
| Washington | $46K | +29% | 1,610 |
| Massachusetts | $45K | +26% | 4,100 |
| Hawaii | $41K | +15% | 600 |
| Alaska | $40K | +12% | 390 |
| Vermont | $39K | +10% | 600 |
| California | $39K | +10% | 34,490 |
| Nevada | $39K | +9% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $38K | +8% | N/A |
| New Mexico | $38K | +7% | 1,020 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +4% | 410 |
| New York | $37K | +3% | N/A |
| Illinois | $37K | +3% | 1,380 |
| Utah | $37K | +3% | 520 |
| Oregon | $36K | +0% | 3,240 |
| Wyoming | $36K | +0% | 40 |
| Missouri | $35K | -1% | 1,810 |
| Maryland | $35K | -1% | 2,670 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -1% | 1,120 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -3% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $34K | -3% | N/A |
| Florida | $34K | -4% | 5,210 |
| Maine | $34K | -4% | 1,050 |
| Delaware | $32K | -10% | 80 |
| Iowa | $32K | -12% | 1,680 |
| Montana | $31K | -12% | 80 |
| Idaho | $31K | -12% | 250 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -12% | 1,790 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -13% | 2,060 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -13% | 840 |
| Indiana | $31K | -14% | 2,100 |
| Michigan | $31K | -14% | 2,390 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -14% | 3,000 |
| Virginia | $30K | -15% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $29K | -17% | 200 |
| Minnesota | $29K | -18% | 1,260 |
| South Carolina | $29K | -18% | 1,270 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -18% | 1,020 |
| New Hampshire | $29K | -19% | 2,840 |
| Tennessee | $29K | -19% | 2,890 |
| Texas | $29K | -19% | 4,150 |
| Ohio | $28K | -20% | 6,920 |
| West Virginia | $27K | -23% | 670 |
| Wisconsin | $27K | -23% | 2,960 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -24% | 3,920 |
| Kansas | $27K | -25% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $26K | -28% | 2,360 |
| Alabama | $25K | -29% | 1,280 |
| Georgia | $22K | -38% | 6,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $18K | -48% | 3,800 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, short orders make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $30,790 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,380, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $35,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,116/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 67.4% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $31,933 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.