Fast Food and Counter Worker career guide

• $31,200median annual wage (U.S.)
• $15.00median hourly wage
• 3,854,050people employed in the U.S.
• Less than a High School Diplomamost common required education

What a fast food and counter worker does

Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.

Typical tasks

• Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
• Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
• Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
• Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
• Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
• Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
• Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
• Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.

A typical day

A shift moves between stations: taking orders at the counter or headset, making drinks or assembling food, handing out orders, and cleaning. Rushes around breakfast, lunch and dinner are fast; the slower hours are for restocking and cleaning. Food safety rules shape almost every task.

Skills employers look for

These are the skills O*NET rates as most important for this occupation.

• Active Listening
• Monitoring
• Speaking
• Critical Thinking
• Social Perceptiveness
• Coordination
• Service Orientation
• Judgment and Decision Making

Knowledge areas

• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Food Production
• Mathematics
• Computers and Electronics

Tools and technology

Examples of technology used in this occupation, from O*NET: Facebook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows.

Education and training

When O*NET asked people in this occupation what education the job requires, the most common answers were:

• Less than a High School Diploma: 56% of respondents
• High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED): 24% of respondents
• Some College Courses: 17% of respondents

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay

The median annual wage for fast food and counter workers was $31,200 in May 2025 ($15.00 an hour). Half of workers earned between $27,700 and $36,070. BLS wage figures for this occupation include tips.

Highest-paying states

1. California: $42,280 median
2. Washington: $37,710 median
3. District of Columbia: $37,430 median
4. Colorado: $36,270 median
5. Vermont: $36,030 median

States with the most fast food and counter workers

1. Texas: 460,530 employed
2. California: 449,840 employed
3. Florida: 235,400 employed
4. New York: 168,620 employed
5. Ohio: 163,560 employed

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay in every state

How to get hired

This is one of the most common first jobs in the country, and most employers train from scratch. Show that you can arrive on time, stay friendly under pressure and work as part of a crew. Some states and counties require a food handler card, which is usually a short online course.

Job titles you may see

Cafeteria Worker, Counter Worker, Food Service Worker, Server.

Related career guides

• Server
• Line Cook
• Bartender
• Hotel Front Desk Clerk
• Retail Sales Associate
• Cashier

Fast Food and Counter Worker salary by state · Fast Food and Counter Worker job description and interview questions

Sources and methodology

Wage and employment estimates: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, cross-industry estimates for all ownerships. Figures are as published; BLS does not publish some estimates for some states. As defined by BLS, wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses, and exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and other premium pay. BLS OEWS

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jobder has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET Database

Written and maintained by the Jobder team. Last updated 2026-10-26. Questions or corrections: support@jobder.pro.

Frequently asked questions

What does a fast food and counter worker do?

Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.

How much does a fast food and counter worker make?

The median annual wage for fast food and counter workers in the United States was $31,200 in May 2025, or $15.00 an hour. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22,840 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $42,650.

What education do you need to become a fast food and counter worker?

In O*NET's survey of people in this occupation, the most common answer for required education was "Less than a High School Diploma" (56% of respondents). O*NET classifies the occupation as "Very Little to Some Preparation Needed".

Which state pays fast food and counter workers the most?

California had the highest median annual wage for this occupation in May 2025, at $42,280, followed by Washington ($37,710) and District of Columbia ($37,430).

How many fast food and counter workers are there in the U.S.?

BLS estimated 3,854,050 people were employed as fast food and counter workers in May 2025. Texas employed the most, with 460,530.