Cooks, Short Order Salary in Trenton, NJ

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Trenton-Princeton, NJ

Median annual salary $34,860 -2.1% vs national
Median hourly $16.76
10th percentile $32,670
90th percentile $43,460
Employed locally 100
National median $35,620

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Cooks, Short Order
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Trenton, NJ
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $32,670
    25th
    $32,670
    50th (median)
    $34,860
    75th
    $42,350
    90th
    $43,460

    Trenton economic context

    Unemployment rate 4.40% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $96,333 2023 • Census ACS
    Cooks, Short Order salary vs area income 36% Median Cooks, Short Order salary is 64% 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
    New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $38,210
    Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $32,510
    Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ $31,950
    Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $22,330

    Related occupations in Trenton, NJ

    OccupationMedian salary
    Fast Food and Counter Workers$33,620
    Waiters and Waitresses$37,360
    Cooks, Restaurant$37,530
    First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers$45,930
    Food Preparation Workers$35,050
    Bartenders$44,740

    Frequently asked questions

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

    The median hourly wage for Cooks, Short Order in Trenton, NJ is $16.76, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $21.43 or more per hour.

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

    The median Cooks, Short Order salary in Trenton, NJ is 2.1% 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 Trenton?

    Entry-level Cooks, Short Order (10th percentile) earn around $32,670 per year in Trenton, NJ. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $32,670.