SOC 35-2015 · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro

Cooks, Short Order Salary in Allentown, PA

The average salary for cooks, short order in Allentown, Pennsylvania is $31,330 a year ($15.06 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $31,940: half of the 160 people in this job in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($36,120).

$31,330average per year

$15.06 / hourMedian $31,940Take-home ≈ $26,392

  • $21K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

160people in this job
-13%vs U.S. average
#1 of 10Pennsylvania metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Short Order pay range in Allentown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,260 a year or less, while the top 10% make $46,060 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Allentown earn between $22,790 and $38,130.

  • $21K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $32KMedian
  • $38K75th
  • $46K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$31,330$2,611$15.06
Median$31,940$2,662$15.36
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,790$1,899$10.96
Experienced (75th percentile)$38,130$3,178$18.33

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Short Order pay in Allentown vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Cooks, short order in Allentown earn 25% more than the Pennsylvania average ($25,130) and 13% less than the U.S. average ($36,120). At the median the gap is -11% against the U.S. median of $35,880.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Allentown$31,330$31,940$21,260$46,060160
Pennsylvania$25,130$19,910$17,150$40,4603,510
United States$36,120$35,880$23,440$46,460138,650

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Allentown

On the average salary of $31,330, a single filer in Allentown takes home about $26,392 a year, or $2,199 a month and $1,015 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NJ$26,893$2,241
Working in PA$26,392$2,199

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Allentown a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Allentown area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.0), so the average $31,330 buys what about $31,340 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Allentown ($48,990). A typical home costs $363,989, or 11.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $31,330 is worth in another city

Cooks, Short Order salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Allentown ranks 1st of 10 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Cooks, Short Order salaries in Pennsylvania

Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order

Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).

Cooks, Short Order salary by city

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Cooks, Short Order salary in Allentown: questions

How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Allentown?

$15.06 an hour on average, and $15.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Allentown?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,260 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,790, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Allentown?

About $26,392 a year ($2,199 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $31,330. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Do cooks, short order earn more in Allentown than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($36,120).

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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (10900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 12.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.49, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.49).

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