Cooks, Short Order pay range in Salem
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,950 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Salem earn between $31,090 and $37,980.
- $30K10th
- $31K25th
- $35KMedian
- $38K75th
- $42K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $35,740 | $2,978 | $17.18 |
| Median | $34,910 | $2,909 | $16.78 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $31,090 | $2,591 | $14.95 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,980 | $3,165 | $18.26 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Short Order pay in Salem vs. Oregon and the U.S.
Cooks, short order in Salem earn 10% less than the Oregon average ($39,790) and about the same as the U.S. average ($36,120). At the median the gap is -3% against the U.S. median of $35,880.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | $35,740 | $34,910 | $29,960 | $41,950 | 110 |
| Oregon | $39,790 | $38,550 | $30,090 | $54,870 | 1,780 |
| United States | $36,120 | $35,880 | $23,440 | $46,460 | 138,650 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Salem
On the average salary of $35,740, a single filer in Salem takes home about $28,512 a year, or $2,376 a month and $1,097 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Is Salem a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Salem area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $35,740 buys what about $34,482 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Salem ($55,310). A typical home costs $454,689, or 12.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other Oregon cities
Salem ranks 7th of 7 Oregon metro areas for this job; Corvallis pays the most ($48,580).
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 Salem: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Salem?
$17.18 an hour on average, and $16.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Salem?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $29,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $31,090, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Salem?
About $28,512 a year ($2,376 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,740. Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Salem than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Salem, OR (41420). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
- 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 (2025 rules). Portland-area Metro and Multnomah County taxes and the 0.1% statewide transit tax are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.64, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.64).
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