SOC 35-2015 · Wichita, KS metro

Cooks, Short Order Salary in Wichita, KS

The average salary for cooks, short order in Wichita, Kansas is $28,550 a year ($13.73 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,250: half of the 170 people in this job in the Wichita, KS metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($36,120).

$28,550average per year

$13.73 / hourMedian $28,250Take-home ≈ $24,299

  • $24K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

170people in this job
-21%vs U.S. average
#2 of 3Kansas metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Short Order pay range in Wichita

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,110 a year or less, while the top 10% make $34,880 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Wichita earn between $24,110 and $28,250.

  • $24K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $35K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,550$2,379$13.73
Median$28,250$2,354$13.58
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,110$2,009$11.59
Experienced (75th percentile)$28,250$2,354$13.58

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

Cooks, Short Order pay in Wichita vs. Kansas and the U.S.

Cooks, short order in Wichita earn 4% less than the Kansas average ($29,600) and 21% less than the U.S. average ($36,120). At the median the gap is -21% against the U.S. median of $35,880.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Wichita$28,550$28,250$24,110$34,880170
Kansas$29,600$27,400$24,110$36,570640
United States$36,120$35,880$23,440$46,460138,650

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Wichita

On the average salary of $28,550, a single filer in Wichita takes home about $24,299 a year, or $2,025 a month and $935 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).

Kansas paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Wichita area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.9), so the average $28,550 buys what about $32,098 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Wichita ($47,630). A typical home costs $225,557, or 7.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,550 is worth in another city

Cooks, Short Order salary in other Kansas cities

Wichita ranks 2nd of 3 Kansas metro areas for this job; Topeka pays the most ($41,640).

All Cooks, Short Order salaries in Kansas

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 Wichita: questions

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

$13.73 an hour on average, and $13.58 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,110 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,110, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,299 a year ($2,025 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,550.

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

The average here is 21% less than the U.S. average for this job ($36,120).

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 Wichita, KS (48620). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).

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