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Quick answer · Balanced priorities

Cooks, Short Order vs Dishwashers: what changes?

Consider Cooks, Short Order if you want to prepare and cook to order a variety of foods that require only a short preparation time. Consider Dishwashers if you would rather clean dishes, kitchen, food preparation equipment, or utensils. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Cooks, Short Order and Dishwashers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Cooks, Short Order

National median pay (2025)
$35,880
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Clean food preparation equipment, work areas, and counters or tables.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
17,400
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 5.2% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Cooks, Short Order brief

Dishwashers

National median pay (2025)
$34,810
Route into the job
No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate
Wash dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, or pans, using dishwashers or by hand.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
68,900
Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Dishwashers brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Dishwashers has the edge on annual openings

Dishwashers is at 68,900 annual openings, compared with 17,400 annual openings for Cooks, Short Order.

2

Dishwashers has the edge on projected growth

Dishwashers is at -1% projected growth, compared with -5.2% projected growth for Cooks, Short Order.

3

Cooks, Short Order has the edge on median pay

Cooks, Short Order is at $35,880, compared with $34,810 for Dishwashers.

39.6/ 100

Cooks, Short Order

vs
46.1/ 100

Dishwashers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Cooks, Short Order vs Dishwashers

DimensionCooks, Short OrderDishwashers
Median pay (2025)$35,880$34,810
Pay percentile5.1 percentile1.6 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)-5.2%-1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)17,40068,900
2025 employment138,700480,400
How you qualifyNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensingNo formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 2Job Zone 2
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingOne month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Cooks, Short Order briefRead Dishwashers brief

Try another comparison

Cooks, Short Order vs Food Preparation Workers

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Cooks, Short Order
$35,880 · -5.2% growth
Food Preparation Workers
$35,320 · -3% growth
Compare careers →

Cooks, Short Order vs Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Cooks, Short Order
$35,880 · -5.2% growth
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria
$37,450 · 2.8% growth
Compare careers →

Dishwashers vs Food Servers, Nonrestaurant

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Dishwashers
$34,810 · -1% growth
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant
$35,360 · 4.5% growth
Compare careers →

Dishwashers vs Bartenders

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Dishwashers
$34,810 · -1% growth
Bartenders
$34,340 · 5% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.