Fast Food and Counter Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for fast food and counter workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $32,150 ≈ $15/hr
National median salary $31,200
Total employment 3,854,050 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +6.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings 904,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 3,796,000 → 4,029,200 (+233,200)
Typical entry education No formal educational credential
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$41,680
- Washington$40,390
- District of Columbia$39,840
- Vermont$37,610
- New York$36,920
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$23,880
- Louisiana$24,580
- Oklahoma$25,050
- Alabama$25,600
- West Virginia$26,780
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $41,680 | $42,280 | $20 | +29.6% | 449,840 |
| 2 | Washington | $40,390 | $37,710 | $19 | +25.6% | 94,710 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $39,840 | $37,430 | $19 | +23.9% | 5,500 |
| 4 | Vermont | $37,610 | $36,030 | $18 | +17% | 6,830 |
| 5 | New York | $36,920 | $35,250 | $18 | +14.8% | 168,620 |
| 6 | Colorado | $36,890 | $36,270 | $18 | +14.7% | 82,010 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $36,330 | $35,380 | $17 | +13% | 35,720 |
| 8 | Oregon | $36,200 | $35,050 | $17 | +12.6% | 59,920 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $35,880 | $35,850 | $17 | +11.6% | 85,810 |
| 10 | Maine | $35,880 | $34,710 | $17 | +11.6% | 17,250 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $35,810 | $35,250 | $17 | +11.4% | 24,130 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $35,110 | $34,150 | $17 | +9.2% | 93,730 |
| 13 | Arizona | $35,090 | $34,230 | $17 | +9.1% | 77,210 |
| 14 | Alaska | $34,500 | $33,280 | $17 | +7.3% | 5,900 |
| 15 | Illinois | $34,280 | $33,910 | $16 | +6.6% | 127,590 |
| 16 | Maryland | $34,210 | $33,660 | $16 | +6.4% | 49,380 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $34,040 | $31,490 | $16 | +5.9% | 13,310 |
| 18 | Delaware | $33,650 | $31,300 | $16 | +4.7% | 13,310 |
| 19 | Nevada | $32,820 | $31,950 | $16 | +2.1% | 45,850 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $32,450 | $31,370 | $16 | +0.9% | 58,970 |
| 21 | Missouri | $32,130 | $30,390 | $15 | -0.1% | 29,360 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $32,120 | $31,590 | $15 | -0.1% | 14,540 |
| 23 | Virginia | $31,930 | $30,110 | $15 | -0.7% | 104,460 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $31,260 | $30,080 | $15 | -2.8% | 11,470 |
| 25 | Florida | $30,940 | $29,080 | $15 | -3.8% | 235,400 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $30,910 | $29,000 | $15 | -3.9% | 30,060 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $30,900 | $29,490 | $15 | -3.9% | 15,150 |
| 28 | Michigan | $30,260 | $28,930 | $15 | -5.9% | 103,130 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $30,260 | $28,700 | $15 | -5.9% | 28,250 |
| 30 | Montana | $30,120 | $29,090 | $14 | -6.3% | 14,960 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $29,110 | $28,600 | $14 | -9.5% | 67,750 |
| 32 | Utah | $29,100 | $28,670 | $14 | -9.5% | 52,340 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $29,050 | $28,570 | $14 | -9.6% | 92,230 |
| 34 | Indiana | $28,980 | $28,790 | $14 | -9.9% | 97,290 |
| 35 | Iowa | $28,940 | $28,390 | $14 | -10% | 40,290 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $28,930 | $28,570 | $14 | -10% | 142,220 |
| 37 | Ohio | $28,900 | $28,430 | $14 | -10.1% | 163,560 |
| 38 | Idaho | $28,630 | $28,940 | $14 | -10.9% | 25,810 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $27,870 | $27,470 | $13 | -13.3% | 90,690 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $27,840 | $27,520 | $13 | -13.4% | 65,070 |
| 41 | Texas | $27,750 | $27,740 | $13 | -13.7% | 460,530 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $27,520 | $27,860 | $13 | -14.4% | 7,060 |
| 43 | Georgia | $27,290 | $26,920 | $13 | -15.1% | 145,030 |
| 44 | Kansas | $27,190 | $27,580 | $13 | -15.4% | 47,140 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $26,890 | $26,250 | $13 | -16.4% | 35,660 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $26,890 | $27,130 | $13 | -16.4% | 41,860 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $26,780 | $26,070 | $13 | -16.7% | 6,240 |
| 48 | Alabama | $25,600 | $23,700 | $12 | -20.4% | 41,460 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $25,050 | $23,430 | $12 | -22.1% | 52,520 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $24,580 | $22,800 | $12 | -23.5% | 45,720 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $23,880 | $22,610 | $11 | -25.7% | 31,220 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa, CA | $45,410 | $44,010 | 1,440 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,570 | $44,980 | 23,060 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $44,110 | $42,760 | 4,430 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,870 | $44,620 | 49,970 |
| 5 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $43,610 | $42,640 | 4,720 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $43,400 | $41,580 | 3,220 |
| 7 | Salinas, CA | $43,260 | $41,880 | 4,180 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $42,940 | $41,320 | 5,930 |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $42,860 | $41,850 | 24,910 |
| 10 | Modesto, CA | $42,630 | $41,600 | 6,700 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing fast food and counter workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $45,910 | $47,200 | 6,360 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $45,910 | $47,200 | 6,360 |
| 3 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $45,820 | $46,560 | 520 |
| 4 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $43,810 | $42,250 | 450 |
| 5 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $42,890 | $42,040 | 330 |
| 6 | Furniture and Home Furnishings Retailers | $41,640 | $42,270 | 1,520 |
| 7 | Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers | $41,180 | $41,130 | 1,630 |
| 8 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $40,410 | $40,870 | 50 |
| 9 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $40,410 | $40,870 | 50 |
| 10 | Personal Care Services | $40,080 | $36,770 | 690 |
| 11 | Support Activities for Air Transportation | $39,790 | $37,880 | — |
| 12 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $39,610 | $41,260 | 7,370 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do fast food and counter workers make in the U.S.?
The median fast food and counter workers salary in the United States is $31,200 per year (mean $32,150), and about 80% earn between $22,840 and $42,650.
How much do fast food and counter workers make per hour?
Roughly $15 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $32,150 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays fast food and counter workers the most?
California has the highest average pay for fast food and counter workers at $41,680 per year (median $42,280).
What is the job outlook for fast food and counter workers?
Employment is projected to change +6.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 904,300 openings per year.