Cooks, Short Order Salary in Houston, TX
Cooks, Short Order in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $25,720 a year — 28% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $22,790 take-home, or $1,899 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, short order salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$962
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,595
- Medicare (1.45%)$373
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$22,790
Marginal rate: 10% federal + 0.00% state
Cooks, Short Order pay by experience in Houston, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $23,440 | $11.27 | $20,913 | $1,743 |
| 25th percentile | $23,570 | $11.33 | $21,020 | $1,752 |
| Median (50th) | $25,720 | $12.37 | $22,790 | $1,899 |
| 75th percentile | $29,030 | $13.96 | $25,506 | $2,125 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $36,320 | $17.46 | $31,363 | $2,614 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $25,720 buys in Houston, TX
Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, short order's $22,790 take-home pay has the buying power of $23,107 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Short Order jobs are less concentrated in Houston, TX than nationally (location quotient 0.51), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, short order, adjusted for cost of living
Houston, TX ranks #43 of 45 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $50,870 | $43,054 | $38,741 |
| 2 | Providence, RI | $44,050 | $36,539 | $35,903 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $46,450 | $38,051 | $35,303 |
| 4 | Denver, CO | $44,200 | $36,458 | $34,466 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $45,990 | $37,706 | $34,147 |
| 6 | Sioux Falls, SD | $35,570 | $30,760 | $33,940 |
| 7 | St. Louis, MO | $38,490 | $32,235 | $33,900 |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | $37,830 | $32,576 | $33,815 |
| 43 | Houston, TX | $25,720 | $22,790 | $23,107 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 45 metros →
Cooks, Short Order salaries elsewhere in Texas
- Austin, TX — $31,520
- Dallas, TX — $25,320
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, short order make in Houston, TX?
The median cooks, short order salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $25,720 a year, or about $12.37 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $23,570 and $29,030.
What is a cooks, short order’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?
On the median $25,720 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $22,790 a year ($1,899 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a cooks, short order?
Pay here is 28% below the national median of $35,880. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $23,107 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #43 of 45 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, short order afford rent in Houston, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 69% of a median cooks, short order’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Houston, TX
- Chef and Head Cook — $45,400
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $36,410
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $35,660
- Cooks, Restaurant — $35,050
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,020
- Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other — $31,200
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $29,050
- Dishwasher — $28,600
- Cooks, All Other — $27,900
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,570
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $26,730
- Cooks, Fast Food — $23,090