What You Need to Know About Short Order Cook
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
- Grill and garnish hamburgers or other meats, such as steaks and chops.
- Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
- Restock kitchen supplies, rotate food, and stamp the time and date on food in coolers.
- Order supplies and stock them on shelves.
- Complete orders from steam tables, placing food on plates and serving customers at tables or counters.
- Plan work on orders so that items served together are finished at the same time.
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Short Order Cook Required 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 Jobs
- Grill Cook
- Snack Bar Cook
- Line Cook
- Deli Cook (Delicatessen Cook)
- Griddle Attendant
Short Order Cook Employment Estimates
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.
Do Short Order Cooks Make A Lot Of Money?
The typical yearly salary for Short Order Cooks is somewhere between $18,190 and $34,370.

Short Order Cooks who work in Alaska, Hawaii, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Short Order Cooks make 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 do Short Order Cooks Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Short Order Cooks:
- Point of sale POS software
- Inventory control software
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
How to Become a Short Order Cook
What kind of Short Order Cook requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Short Order Cooks Work

Below are examples of industries where Short Order Cooks work:

References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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