Cooks, Short Order pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,950 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Chicago earn between $36,010 and $41,850.
- $35K10th
- $36K25th
- $37KMedian
- $42K75th
- $47K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,980 | $3,248 | $18.74 |
| Median | $37,440 | $3,120 | $18.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $36,010 | $3,001 | $17.31 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $41,850 | $3,488 | $20.12 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $38,980, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $31,712 a year, or $2,643 a month and $1,220 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $32,361 | $2,697 |
| Working in IL | $31,712 | $2,643 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $38,980 buys what about $37,627 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 9.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 3 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).
- Kahului, HI$52,560
- Denver, CO$51,530
- Seattle, WA$49,560
- Corvallis, OR$48,580
- San Francisco, CA$46,250
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Cooks, Short Order salary in Chicago: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Chicago?
$18.74 an hour on average, and $18.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,010, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Chicago?
About $31,712 a year ($2,643 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,980.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% more 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- 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 (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.44, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.44).
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