All About Short Order Cooks
Example of Short Order Cook Job Prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. May take orders from customers and serve patrons at counters or tables.
List of Short Order Cook Job Duties
- Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
- Take orders from customers and cook foods requiring short preparation times, according to customer requirements.
- Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
- Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
- Order supplies and stock them on shelves.
- Perform food preparation tasks, such as making sandwiches, carving meats, making soups or salads, baking breads or desserts, and brewing coffee or tea.
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Short Order Cook Needed Skills
Short Order Cooks state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Types of Short Order Cook
- Snack Bar Cook
- Bed and Breakfast Cook (B&B Cook)
- Barbecue Cook
- Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook)
- Cook
Is There Job Demand for Short Order Cooks?
In the United States, there were 185,900 jobs for Short Order Cook in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Short Order Cook. There will be an estimated 24,700 positions for Short Order Cook per year.

The states with the most job growth for Short Order Cook are Utah, Washington, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Short Order Cook Salary
The average yearly salary of a Short Order Cook ranges between $18,190 and $34,370.

Short Order Cooks who work in Alaska, Hawaii, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Short Order Cooks in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $21,910 |
Alaska | $33,400 |
Arizona | $26,090 |
Arkansas | $24,900 |
California | $28,530 |
Colorado | $26,900 |
Connecticut | $29,430 |
Delaware | $22,230 |
District of Columbia | $31,010 |
Florida | $29,350 |
Georgia | $23,560 |
Hawaii | $29,920 |
Idaho | $21,050 |
Illinois | $24,770 |
Indiana | $21,270 |
Iowa | $21,810 |
Kansas | $23,220 |
Kentucky | $20,500 |
Louisiana | $21,270 |
Maine | $26,910 |
Maryland | $25,570 |
Massachusetts | $33,670 |
Michigan | $23,760 |
Minnesota | $27,370 |
Mississippi | $21,340 |
Missouri | $22,440 |
Montana | $25,010 |
Nebraska | $25,050 |
Nevada | $30,750 |
New Hampshire | $24,240 |
New Jersey | $25,030 |
New Mexico | $24,880 |
New York | $27,580 |
North Carolina | $21,920 |
North Dakota | $24,700 |
Ohio | $22,680 |
Oklahoma | $20,460 |
Oregon | $26,330 |
Pennsylvania | $27,180 |
Rhode Island | $27,890 |
South Carolina | $22,330 |
South Dakota | $24,070 |
Tennessee | $22,420 |
Texas | $22,880 |
Utah | $24,870 |
Vermont | $28,570 |
Virginia | $24,300 |
Washington | $29,690 |
West Virginia | $20,680 |
Wisconsin | $24,000 |
Wyoming | $22,380 |
What Tools & Technology do Short Order Cooks Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Short Order Cooks may use on a daily basis:
- Point of sale POS software
- Inventory control software
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
Becoming a Short Order Cook
What kind of Short Order Cook requirements are there?

What work experience do I need to become a Short Order Cook?

Who Employs Short Order Cooks?

Short Order Cooks work in the following industries:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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