BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Short Order pay in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC at a median of $34,600 per year ($16.64/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,880, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pays 4% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 530 cooks, short orders are employed across the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA in SOC 35-2015.

The Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia pay distribution spans from $29,510 at the 10th percentile to $39,350 at the 90th — a 1.3× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $30,540 and the 75th at $37,290, so half of Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia-based cooks, short orders earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide NC data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.