SOC 35-2015 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Cooks, Short Order — Montgomery
Montgomery, AL · 7 metro areas compared
At $21,840, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Cooks, Short Order, 39.1% beneath the national figure of $35,880.
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 Montgomery, AL.
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
At $21,840, this is one of the lower medians recorded for Cooks, Short Order, 39.1% beneath the national figure of $35,880. Pay ranges from under $20,500 at the tenth percentile to more than $30,740 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $21,180 to $29,410.
Within the state, Birmingham records the highest median at $23,160. Of the 373 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 369th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $20,500 | −42.9% |
| 25th | $21,180 | −41.0% |
| Median (50th) | $21,840 | −39.1% |
| 75th | $29,410 | −18.0% |
| 90th | $30,740 | −14.3% |
| Mean | $24,660 | −31.3% |
Other metro areas in Alabama
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | $23,160 | — | |
| 2 | Huntsville | $22,510 | 320 | |
| 3 | Daphne | $22,330 | 190 | |
| 4 | Tuscaloosa | $22,110 | 150 | |
| 5 | Auburn | $21,860 | 120 | |
| 6 | Florence | $21,480 | 90 | |
| 7 | Dothan | $21,250 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Montgomery run 10.3% below the national average, so the median of $21,840 goes as far as $24,348 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 32.1% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$21,840as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$24,348US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $21,840 a year, 39.1% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $20,500 to $30,740 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Birmingham, at $23,160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Cooks, Short Order in Montgomery, AL?
The median annual wage is $21,840, or $10.50 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 Montgomery, AL is 39.1% 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 Montgomery, AL earns more than $30,740 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $20,500 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 Birmingham, at $23,160 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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