SOC 35-2015 · Auburn-Opelika, AL metro

Cooks, Short Order Salary in Auburn, AL

The average salary for cooks, short order in Auburn, Alabama is $24,580 a year ($11.82 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $21,860: half of the 120 people in this job in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 35% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,675).

$24,580average per year

$11.82 / hourMedian $21,860Take-home ≈ $20,930

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $22KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $31K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

120people in this job
-35%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 8Alabama metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Short Order pay range in Auburn

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $30,890 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Auburn earn between $20,940 and $29,110.

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $22KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $31K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$24,580$2,048$11.82
Median$21,860$1,822$10.51
Entry level (25th percentile)$20,940$1,745$10.07
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,110$2,426$14.00

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Auburn

On the average salary of $24,580, a single filer in Auburn takes home about $20,930 a year, or $1,744 a month and $805 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

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Is Auburn a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Auburn area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.9), so the average $24,580 buys what about $27,953 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Auburn ($39,070). A typical home costs $349,842, or 14.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $24,580 is worth in another city

Cooks, Short Order salary in other Alabama cities

Auburn ranks 5th of 8 Alabama metro areas for this job; Huntsville pays the most ($26,010).

All Cooks, Short Order salaries in Alabama

Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).

Cooks, Short Order salary by city

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Cooks, Short Order salary in Auburn: questions

How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Auburn?

$11.82 an hour on average, and $10.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Auburn?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $20,940, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Auburn?

About $20,930 a year ($1,744 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $24,580. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Do cooks, short order earn more in Auburn than elsewhere?

The average here is 35% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,675).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2015; area Auburn-Opelika, AL (12220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.7%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.90, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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