SOC 35-2015 · Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro

Cooks, Short Order Salary in Elkhart, IN

The average salary for cooks, short order in Elkhart, Indiana is $26,210 a year ($12.60 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,430: half of the 70 people in this job in the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 30% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($37,675).

$26,210average per year

$12.60 / hourMedian $28,430Take-home ≈ $21,933

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $34K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

70people in this job
-30%vs U.S. metro average
#7 of 8Indiana metros
90cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Short Order pay range in Elkhart

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $33,980 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Elkhart earn between $21,090 and $29,740.

  • $20K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $30K75th
  • $34K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,210$2,184$12.60
Median$28,430$2,369$13.67
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,090$1,758$10.14
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,740$2,478$14.30

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

Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Elkhart

On the average salary of $26,210, a single filer in Elkhart takes home about $21,933 a year, or $1,828 a month and $844 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).

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

Prices in the Elkhart area are 10% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 90.3), so the average $26,210 buys what about $29,017 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Elkhart ($48,070). A typical home costs $265,734, or 10.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,210 is worth in another city

Cooks, Short Order salary in other Indiana cities

Elkhart ranks 7th of 8 Indiana metro areas for this job; Muncie pays the most ($29,780).

All Cooks, Short Order salaries in Indiana

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 Elkhart: questions

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

$12.60 an hour on average, and $13.67 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $20,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,090, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $21,933 a year ($1,828 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,210. Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).

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

The average here is 30% 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN (21140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.2%.
  • 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). Includes Elkhart's local income tax (2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.60, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.60).

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