BLS metro-level wage data places Cooks, Short Order pay in Omaha, NE-IA at a median of $32,710 per year ($15.73/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,880, Omaha pays 9% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 850 cooks, short orders are employed across the Omaha MSA in SOC 35-2015.

The Omaha pay distribution spans from $28,080 at the 10th percentile to $43,870 at the 90th — a 1.6× 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 $28,080 and the 75th at $36,760, so half of Omaha-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 Omaha, NE-IA 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 NE data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.