Fast Food and Counter Worker salary in the United States
Fast food and counter workers in the U.S. earned a median of $31,200 a year, or $15.00 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid 10% earned at least 1.9 times as much as the lowest-paid 10%.
Pay data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Job content: O*NET 31.0. Updated 2026-10-26.
- $31,200median annual wage
- $15.00median hourly wage
- $22,840 to $42,65010th to 90th percentile
- 3,854,050employed in the U.S.
Pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $10.98 | $22,840 |
| 25th | $13.32 | $27,700 |
| Median (50th) | $15.00 | $31,200 |
| 75th | $17.34 | $36,070 |
| 90th | $20.51 | $42,650 |
| Mean | $15.46 | $32,150 |
BLS wage figures for this occupation include tips reported by employers. Actual take-home pay can vary a lot from shift to shift.
Fast Food and Counter Worker salary by state
Median wages and employment for every state where BLS published an estimate.
| State | Employed | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th to 90th percentile (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 41,460 | $11.40 | $23,700 | $21,080 to $32,740 |
| Alaska | 5,900 | $16.00 | $33,280 | $24,830 to $45,170 |
| Arizona | 77,210 | $16.46 | $34,230 | $30,760 to $43,990 |
| Arkansas | 35,660 | $12.62 | $26,250 | $23,240 to $32,120 |
| California | 449,840 | $20.33 | $42,280 | $35,530 to $47,950 |
| Colorado | 82,010 | $17.44 | $36,270 | $31,040 to $44,100 |
| Connecticut | 35,720 | $17.01 | $35,380 | $34,010 to $39,660 |
| Delaware | 13,310 | $15.05 | $31,300 | $31,200 to $37,530 |
| District of Columbia | 5,500 | $18.00 | $37,430 | $37,260 to $46,800 |
| Florida | 235,400 | $13.98 | $29,080 | $27,570 to $36,430 |
| Georgia | 145,030 | $12.94 | $26,920 | $20,910 to $36,110 |
| Hawaii | 24,130 | $16.95 | $35,250 | $29,120 to $45,140 |
| Idaho | 25,810 | $13.91 | $28,940 | $20,130 to $36,330 |
| Illinois | 127,590 | $16.30 | $33,910 | $31,200 to $37,330 |
| Indiana | 97,290 | $13.84 | $28,790 | $22,110 to $35,820 |
| Iowa | 40,290 | $13.65 | $28,390 | $21,620 to $35,990 |
| Kansas | 47,140 | $13.26 | $27,580 | $21,620 to $34,280 |
| Kentucky | 41,860 | $13.04 | $27,130 | $21,590 to $34,420 |
| Louisiana | 45,720 | $10.96 | $22,800 | $18,610 to $33,320 |
| Maine | 17,250 | $16.69 | $34,710 | $30,740 to $42,640 |
| Maryland | 49,380 | $16.18 | $33,660 | $31,200 to $37,390 |
| Massachusetts | 85,810 | $17.24 | $35,850 | $31,290 to $38,700 |
| Michigan | 103,130 | $13.91 | $28,930 | $25,960 to $35,970 |
| Minnesota | 58,970 | $15.08 | $31,370 | $28,190 to $37,140 |
| Mississippi | 31,220 | $10.87 | $22,610 | $18,530 to $29,090 |
| Missouri | 29,360 | $14.61 | $30,390 | $28,600 to $36,830 |
| Montana | 14,960 | $13.98 | $29,090 | $22,760 to $36,780 |
| Nebraska | 30,060 | $13.94 | $29,000 | $28,080 to $35,760 |
| Nevada | 45,850 | $15.36 | $31,950 | $26,630 to $42,860 |
| New Hampshire | 14,540 | $15.19 | $31,590 | $22,580 to $38,440 |
| New Jersey | 93,730 | $16.42 | $34,150 | $32,220 to $39,130 |
| New Mexico | 28,250 | $13.80 | $28,700 | $26,670 to $36,360 |
| New York | 168,620 | $16.95 | $35,250 | $32,240 to $44,740 |
| North Carolina | 92,230 | $13.74 | $28,570 | $21,800 to $36,820 |
| North Dakota | 11,470 | $14.46 | $30,080 | $22,750 to $37,380 |
| Ohio | 163,560 | $13.67 | $28,430 | $23,200 to $34,920 |
| Oklahoma | 52,520 | $11.27 | $23,430 | $20,510 to $30,300 |
| Oregon | 59,920 | $16.85 | $35,050 | $30,950 to $44,370 |
| Pennsylvania | 142,220 | $13.74 | $28,570 | $22,030 to $35,880 |
| Rhode Island | 13,310 | $15.14 | $31,490 | $31,200 to $36,540 |
| South Carolina | 65,070 | $13.23 | $27,520 | $22,340 to $35,020 |
| South Dakota | 15,150 | $14.18 | $29,490 | $27,880 to $36,380 |
| Tennessee | 90,690 | $13.21 | $27,470 | $21,850 to $35,060 |
| Texas | 460,530 | $13.34 | $27,740 | $21,710 to $35,680 |
| Utah | 52,340 | $13.78 | $28,670 | $21,980 to $36,670 |
| Vermont | 6,830 | $17.32 | $36,030 | $30,450 to $46,080 |
| Virginia | 104,460 | $14.48 | $30,110 | $27,130 to $37,550 |
| Washington | 94,710 | $18.13 | $37,710 | $35,050 to $47,860 |
| West Virginia | 6,240 | $12.54 | $26,070 | $18,750 to $35,150 |
| Wisconsin | 67,750 | $13.75 | $28,600 | $22,240 to $36,090 |
| Wyoming | 7,060 | $13.40 | $27,860 | $20,300 to $37,020 |
Highest-paying states
- California: $42,280, 36% above the national median
- Washington: $37,710, 21% above the national median
- District of Columbia: $37,430, 20% above the national median
- Colorado: $36,270, 16% above the national median
- Vermont: $36,030, 15% above the national median
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $22,610
- Louisiana: $22,800
- Oklahoma: $23,430
- Alabama: $23,700
- West Virginia: $26,070
States with the most jobs
- Texas: 460,530 employed
- California: 449,840 employed
- Florida: 235,400 employed
- New York: 168,620 employed
- Ohio: 163,560 employed
Where the job is most concentrated
Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state, a measure of how common the occupation is locally.
- Hawaii: 38.456 per 1,000 jobs
- South Dakota: 33.114 per 1,000 jobs
- Kansas: 32.796 per 1,000 jobs
- Texas: 32.729 per 1,000 jobs
- New Mexico: 32.432 per 1,000 jobs
More about this role
Fast Food and Counter Worker career guide · Fast Food and Counter Worker job description and interview questions
Salaries for related roles
- Server salary
- Line Cook salary
- Bartender salary
- Hotel Front Desk Clerk salary
- Retail Sales Associate salary
- Cashier salary
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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 is the average fast food and counter worker salary?
The mean annual wage for fast food and counter workers in the U.S. was $32,150 in May 2025, and the median was $31,200. The median is the middle value: half of workers earned more, half earned less.
How much does a fast food and counter worker make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $15.00 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $10.98 and the 90th percentile was $20.51.
Where do fast food and counter workers earn the most?
California had the highest median annual wage, at $42,280, 36% above the national median.
Where do fast food and counter workers earn the least?
Mississippi had the lowest median annual wage, at $22,610.
Where does this data come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, which cover wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments.