Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in Wisconsin make a median of $28,130 a year, or about $13.52 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $29,821 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 60.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $28K get you in Wisconsin?
About cooks, short orders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for cooks, short order in Wisconsin runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,202/month, which is 59.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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, Wisconsin
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $28K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in Wisconsin
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $29K | +2% | 60 |
| Madison | $29K | +2% | N/A |
| Racine-Mount Pleasant | $28K | +1% | 60 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $28K | +0% | N/A |
| Kenosha | $28K | -1% | 50 |
| Green Bay | $28K | -1% | 100 |
| Appleton | $28K | -1% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Wisconsin numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, short order afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $28K, rent takes 59.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,353/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 89% 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 Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $28K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
Wisconsin pays $28K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, short orders make in Wisconsin?
The median is $28,130 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,550, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $39,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $28K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,009/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 59.8% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $29,821 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.