Cooks, Short Order pay range in Nashville
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,760 a year or less, while the top 10% make $44,060 or more. The middle half of cooks, short order in Nashville earn between $31,300 and $39,260.
- $26K10th
- $31K25th
- $38KMedian
- $39K75th
- $44K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,390 | $3,032 | $17.50 |
| Median | $37,830 | $3,152 | $18.19 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $31,300 | $2,608 | $15.05 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $39,260 | $3,272 | $18.88 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Short Order pay in Nashville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.
Cooks, short order in Nashville earn 15% more than the Tennessee average ($31,620) and about the same as the U.S. average ($36,120). At the median the gap is +5% against the U.S. median of $35,880.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $36,390 | $37,830 | $25,760 | $44,060 | 600 |
| Tennessee | $31,620 | $30,210 | $22,880 | $39,240 | 2,510 |
| United States | $36,120 | $35,880 | $23,440 | $46,460 | 138,650 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Short Order salary after taxes in Nashville
On the average salary of $36,390, a single filer in Nashville takes home about $31,419 a year, or $2,618 a month and $1,208 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Nashville a good place for cooks, short order? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Nashville area are 4% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 96.3), so the average $36,390 buys what about $37,773 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Nashville ($50,390). A typical home costs $455,958, or 12.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Short Order salary in other Tennessee cities
Nashville ranks 1st of 8 Tennessee metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Nashville$36,390
- Memphis$31,080
- Knoxville$30,880
- Chattanooga$30,490
- Kingsport$30,260
- Clarksville$30,100
- Johnson City$29,700
- Cleveland$27,380
Highest-paying cities for cooks, short order
Kahului, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,560).
- Kahului, HI$52,560
- Denver, CO$51,530
- Seattle, WA$49,560
- Corvallis, OR$48,580
- San Francisco, CA$46,250
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Cooks, Short Order salary in Nashville: questions
How much do cooks, short order make an hour in Nashville?
$17.50 an hour on average, and $18.19 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, short order salary in Nashville?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,760 a year and the 25th percentile is $31,300, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, short order take-home pay in Nashville?
About $31,419 a year ($2,618 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,390. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Do cooks, short order earn more in Nashville than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN (34980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.2%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).
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