Cook market brief · Salem, OR
Cook Jobs in Salem, OR
There are 57 open cook jobs in Salem, OR as of Nov 15, 2026; median listed pay $38,480 a year; 5 posted in the last 7 days. 35 employers are hiring, led by Mesk Investment, Inc, Abby's Restaurant, and Bonaventure Senior Living. Openings are down 8% from 62 in the prior 30 days. The middle half of posted salaries runs $37,440–$43,160 a year, from the 54% of listings that disclose pay.
Data updated Nov 15, 2026
Role and market snapshot
A quick read on demand before you open the live listings
Tracked jobs
- 57
- Live cook openings currently tracked in the Salem market.
Companies hiring
- 35
- Distinct employers represented in this publishable market view.
30-day momentum
- Down 8%
- 62 openings were tracked in the prior comparison window.
Median compensation
- $38,480
- 54% of listings provide usable compensation data.
Market analysis
Role-specific demand, level, employer, and compensation signals for this local market
Start with the level mix, then compare current demand, compensation coverage, and employer concentration before opening the live listings.
Level mix
Career ladder
Level coverage is 33%. Counts remain visible, but fit guidance stays withheld until at least 60% of listings have a reliable level signal.
30-day window
Demand and salary
Current jobs
57
Prior window
62
Salary coverage
54%
Median experience
1.0 years
Within this market
Employer tier lens
Startups & growing teams
30
17 companies · $38,022 median
Established employers
13
8 companies · $43,940 median
Top of market
7
3 companies
Coverage-gated
Salary distribution
P25
$37,440
P50
$38,480
P75
$43,160
P90
$45,542
Salary figures use annualized USD posted minimum compensation from listings in this market. An employer that posts the same pay on many listings counts once, and figures render only when enough distinct employers disclose pay.
Use Metaintro
Turn this market signal into momentum
Move from aggregate demand to the live roles hiring in this market now.
- Open live cook listings in Salem
- Compare the level mix before narrowing your search
- Use employer and compensation signals to prioritize outreach
Turn this market brief into a live search.
Use the signal
The best next step is opening the roles behind the aggregate: compare cook opportunities in Salem, save the strongest fits, and keep the market signal close while you apply.
- 57 live roles tracked in this market.
- 35 employers represented in the current window.
- Market data refreshed Nov 15, 2026.
A practical market plan for Cook in Salem
Use this sequence to move from aggregate labor-market data to a focused application list.
- 01
Read the demand
57 cook openings across 35 employers establish the current Salem opportunity set.
- 02
Choose the right rung
Use the live listings to calibrate title, scope, and experience expectations before applying.
- 03
Prioritize employers
Mesk Investment, Inc is one of the most active visible employers, with 8 current openings in this market view.
- 04
Open the live roles
24 representative openings connect this brief to jobs you can review now.
With Metaintro
Keep market research, live opportunities, saved roles, and the evidence behind your applications moving in one focused loop.
Where this market is hiring
Move from the Salem market view into active employers and representative cook openings
Employer activity · 35 companies
Who is hiring in this market
The most active visible employers, ordered by openings represented in the current market sample.
Live opportunity sample · 24 of 57 matches
Representative openings
Open a role to inspect the full requirements. Compensation appears only when the listing provides usable salary data.
More cook openings in Salem
- Cook · Eagle Ridge
- Cook 1 · OSU Oregon State University
- Field Sous Chef · Upper Crust Food Service
- Cook · Cascadia EE LLC
- Cook - Per Diem · Cascadia EE LLC
- Cook - Bonaventure of Albany · Bonaventure Senior Living
- Cook - Bonaventure of Salem · Bonaventure Senior Living
- Cook · Brookdale Senior Living
- COOK (FULL TIME) · Unidine - Revel Scottsdale
- SOUS CHEF - Oregon State University · Compass Group
- Cook · Brookdale Senior Living
- Cook · Brookdale Senior Living
- Cook (Part Time) · HG External
- Cook · Merrill Gardens at Sherwood
- cook · WiseCracks Cafe
- weekend line cook · WiseCracks Cafe
Cook jobs in Salem: what applicants need to know
Current answers for a difficult AI-era job search, grounded in this publishable role and location market view rather than generic career advice.
- 01
How many cook jobs are open in Salem?
Metaintro tracks 57 live cook openings from 35 employers in the Salem, OR area over the last 30 days.
- 02
Is demand for cook jobs changing in Salem?
Openings fell 8%, from 62 in the prior 30 days to 57 in the latest 30.
- 03
What do cook jobs in Salem pay?
The median posted salary is $38,480 a year. The middle half of posted salaries runs $37,440 to $43,160. Based on the 54% of current listings that disclose pay.
- 04
Which companies are hiring for cook jobs in Salem?
Mesk Investment, Inc, Abby's Restaurant, Bonaventure Senior Living, and Brookdale Senior Living have the most open cook roles here right now, out of 35 hiring employers.
Continue with the next market signal
Compare nearby cities, adjacent roles, and publishable level views without leaving the live jobs cluster
Nearby cities
Compare Cook demand around Salem.
Related roles
See adjacent role demand in the Salem market.
Labor market data
Layoffs, WARN notices and hiring demand beside the Salem market
- Layoffs trackerEvery tracked layoff, store closure and office mandate, by company.
- Monthly layoffs reportsEach month's cuts, the companies behind them and the trend.
- 2026 layoffs year in reviewThe year's cuts by month, company, cause and state.
- WARN notices by stateEvery state's official layoff and plant closing notice list.
- Hiring Demand MonitorDaily open jobs at 280,000 employers, from their own career sites.
- Second chance jobs by stateEmployers with public evidence they hire people with records, graded A to D.
- Job markets by role and cityLive openings, employers and pay for each local market.
- US hiring reportDated counts of job listings and hiring companies by role and city.
Built for career movement
Turn the Salem cook market into your next move.
Use live demand, employer, level, and compensation signals to focus your cook search where the market is active now.
- MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence.
- PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications.
- ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current.