Cooks, Short Order pay range in Memphis
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,460 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Memphis earn between $27,920 and $34,680.
- $24K10th
- $28K25th
- $30KMedian
- $35K75th
- $37K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $31,080 | $2,590 | $14.94 |
| Median | $29,880 | $2,490 | $14.37 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $27,920 | $2,327 | $13.42 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $34,680 | $2,890 | $16.67 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Memphis
On the average salary of $31,080, a single filer in Memphis takes home about $27,153 a year, or $2,263 a month and $1,044 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.
The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in TN | $27,153 | $2,263 |
| Working in MS | $26,642 | $2,220 |
| Working in AR | $26,491 | $2,208 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Memphis a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Memphis area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.2), so the average $31,080 buys what about $33,717 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Memphis ($46,890). A typical home costs $247,229, or 8.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other Tennessee cities
Memphis ranks 2nd of 8 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($36,390).
- Nashville$36,390
- Memphis$31,080
- Knoxville$30,880
- Chattanooga$30,490
- Kingsport$30,260
- Clarksville$30,100
- Johnson City$29,700
- Cleveland$27,380
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 Memphis: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Memphis?
$14.94 an hour on average, and $14.37 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Memphis?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,920, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Memphis?
About $27,153 a year ($2,263 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,080. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Memphis than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR (32820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.2%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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