Cooks, Short Order pay in Tennessee
$31,620avg. a year
$15.20 an hour · 2,510 employed
Cooks, Short Order in Tennessee earn an average of $31,620 a year. That is $4,500 (12%) less than the U.S. average of $36,120. The best-paying metro area is Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN at $36,390.
$30,210Median pay
$15.20Average hourly
+37%Avg. pay since 2020
#36Of 48 states + D.C.
Top-paying Tennessee metro areas
Average pay for cooks, short order by metro area. Swipe to see all 8.
1600 jobs
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
$36,390
$17.50 an hour
2590 jobs
Memphis, TN-MS-AR
$31,080
$14.94 an hour
3320 jobs
Knoxville, TN
$30,880
$14.85 an hour
4200 jobs
Chattanooga, TN-GA
$30,490
$14.66 an hour
5120 jobs
Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA
$30,260
$14.55 an hour
6100 jobs
Clarksville, TN-KY
$30,100
$14.47 an hour
780 jobs
Johnson City, TN
$29,700
$14.28 an hour
840 jobs
Cleveland, TN
$27,380
$13.16 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Short Order pay in Tennessee, charted
Pay over time
Tennessee, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Tennessee cooks, short order work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Tennessee highlighted · tap a state
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Under $32k$32k–$35k$35k–$40k$40k+Tennessee
Tennessee vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $36,120 | $17.37 |
| Tennessee | $31,620 | $15.20 |
| Missouri | $37,390 | $17.97 |
| Kentucky | $33,160 | $15.94 |
| Virginia | $32,600 | $15.68 |
| North Carolina | $31,680 | $15.23 |
| Arkansas | $31,560 | $15.18 |
Related jobs in Tennessee
- Cooks, Restaurant$36,530
- Food Preparation Workers$30,860
- Cooks, Fast Food$29,480
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$35,260
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,870
- Waiters and Waitresses$29,070
Average pay, Tennessee, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, short order make in Tennessee?
The average is $31,620 a year, and the median is $30,210. That is $4,500 (12%) less than the U.S. average of $36,120.
What is the hourly wage in Tennessee?
$15.20 an hour on average; the median is $14.52.
Where in Tennessee do they earn the most?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN ($36,390), followed by Memphis, TN-MS-AR ($31,080). The lowest average among 8 metro areas with data is Cleveland, TN ($27,380).
How does Tennessee rank?
Tennessee ranks #36 of 49 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2015. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, short order page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.