Cooks, Short Order Salary in Buffalo, NY

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

Median annual salary $33,280 -6.6% vs national
Median hourly $16.00
10th percentile $31,200
90th percentile $44,900
National median $35,620

Compare Cooks, Short Order salary & buying power

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Cooks, Short Order
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Buffalo, NY
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $31,200
    25th
    $33,050
    50th (median)
    $33,280
    75th
    $38,960
    90th
    $44,900

    Buffalo economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.90% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $70,572 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Short Order salary vs area income 47% Median Cooks, Short Order salary is 53% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Cooks, Short Order

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Kahului-Wailuku, HI $48,970
    Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,700
    Barnstable Town, MA $46,830
    Arizona $46,240
    Washington $46,010
    Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $46,010

    Nearby metros — Cooks, Short Order salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $42,310
    Rochester, NY $39,400
    New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $38,210
    Kingston, NY $38,170
    Ithaca, NY $37,560
    Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $37,170

    Related occupations in Buffalo, NY

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers $34,240
    Waiters and Waitresses $46,820
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $42,290
    Cooks, Restaurant $37,700
    Bartenders $49,950
    Food Preparation Workers $34,270

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Cooks, Short Order make per hour in Buffalo?

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Short Order in Buffalo, NY is $16.00, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.74 or more per hour.

    Is Buffalo above or below average for Cooks, Short Order salaries?

    The median Cooks, Short Order salary in Buffalo, NY is 6.6% below the national median of $35,620. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Cooks, Short Order in Buffalo?

    Entry-level Cooks, Short Order (10th percentile) earn around $31,200 per year in Buffalo, NY. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $33,050.