SOC 35-2015 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Short Order — Dayton
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH · 9 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Dayton, OH is $28,200 a year, trailing the national median of $35,880 by 21.4%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -5.6%
- Openings per year
- 20,600
- Typical entry-level education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Dayton, OH is $28,200 a year, trailing the national median of $35,880 by 21.4%. Half of workers earn between $25,470 and $34,590. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $23,350 and the ninetieth at $35,570.
Columbus leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $35,200. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 505th of 515 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $23,350 | −34.9% |
| 25th | $25,470 | −29.0% |
| Median (50th) | $28,200 | −21.4% |
| 75th | $34,590 | −3.6% |
| 90th | $35,570 | −0.9% |
| Mean | $29,620 | −17.4% |
Other metro areas in Ohio
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbus | $35,200 | 1,100 | |
| 2 | Cincinnati | $32,180 | 580 | |
| 3 | Canton | $31,450 | — | |
| 4 | Akron | $31,430 | 240 | |
| 5 | Youngstown | $29,350 | 180 | |
| 6 | Toledo | $27,970 | 290 | |
| 7 | Springfield | $27,600 | 50 | |
| 8 | Sandusky | $27,560 | 110 | |
| 9 | Cleveland | $22,260 | 1,610 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Dayton run 7.3% below the national average, so the median of $28,200 goes as far as $30,421 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 15.2% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$28,200as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$30,421US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $28,200 a year, 21.4% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $23,350 to $35,570 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Columbus, at $35,200.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Short Order in Dayton, OH?
The median annual wage is $28,200, or $13.56 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $35,880, so pay in Dayton, OH is 21.4% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Dayton, OH earns more than $35,570 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $23,350 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Columbus, at $35,200 per year.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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