occupation · 35-3023 · detailed
Fast Food and Counter Workers — wages and employment
Fast Food and Counter Workers earned a median annual wage of $30,480 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,780,930 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Fast Food and Counter Workers earned a median annual wage of $30,480 in the United States in May 2024, with 3,780,930 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $22,620 or less, the best-paid tenth $38,800 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $29,540 to $30,480, +3.2 %. The best-paying state is District of Columbia at $38,240; the lowest Guam at $20,580. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $42,660. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 3,780,930 | $30,480 | $31,350 | $22,620 | $27,150 | $35,440 | $38,800 | $14.65 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 3,676,580 | $29,540 | $30,110 | $22,190 | $26,280 | $34,430 | $36,880 | $14.20 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $38,240 | 7,390 |
| California | $37,010 | 438,950 |
| Washington | $36,820 | 94,830 |
| Colorado | $35,440 | 78,720 |
| New York | $35,270 | 183,810 |
| Massachusetts | $35,060 | 81,770 |
| Vermont | $34,540 | 5,800 |
| Oregon | $34,430 | 58,150 |
| Alaska | $34,430 | 5,060 |
| Maine | $34,360 | 16,520 |
| Connecticut | $33,980 | 32,180 |
| New Jersey | $33,290 | 86,980 |
| Arizona | $33,060 | 86,640 |
| Minnesota | $31,950 | 59,220 |
| Illinois | $31,900 | 139,090 |
| Maryland | $31,200 | 48,270 |
| Hawaii | $30,860 | 25,850 |
| Rhode Island | $30,460 | 12,650 |
| New Hampshire | $30,320 | 12,550 |
| Delaware | $30,210 | 13,800 |
| North Dakota | $30,010 | 11,580 |
| South Dakota | $29,480 | 14,420 |
| Nebraska | $29,420 | 28,360 |
| Missouri | $29,310 | 32,710 |
| Montana | $29,280 | 15,940 |
| Nevada | $29,180 | 44,110 |
| Virginia | $29,060 | 103,390 |
| Michigan | $28,870 | 114,880 |
| North Carolina | $28,760 | 85,120 |
| Utah | $28,670 | 50,980 |
| New Mexico | $28,650 | 23,990 |
| Wisconsin | $28,500 | 60,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,490 | 131,650 |
| Idaho | $28,450 | 24,440 |
| Iowa | $28,400 | 37,060 |
| Indiana | $28,290 | 101,500 |
| Wyoming | $28,200 | 6,840 |
| Ohio | $28,100 | 167,650 |
| Florida | $27,990 | 241,010 |
| Tennessee | $27,840 | 84,170 |
| Kentucky | $27,170 | 41,890 |
| Texas | $27,000 | 410,760 |
| Kansas | $27,000 | 45,420 |
| South Carolina | $26,830 | 63,380 |
| Arkansas | $26,740 | 36,150 |
| Georgia | $26,310 | 151,240 |
| West Virginia | $24,960 | 7,280 |
| Virgin Islands | $23,680 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $23,590 | 53,380 |
| Alabama | $23,490 | 37,500 |
| Louisiana | $23,110 | 34,840 |
| Mississippi | $22,280 | 31,010 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,850 | 20,900 |
| Guam | $20,580 | 1,050 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $42,660 | 21,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $40,470 | 47,330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,310 | 51,590 |
| Napa, CA | $38,270 | 1,540 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38,090 | 5,160 |
| Vallejo, CA | $37,680 | 4,550 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $37,650 | 25,790 |
| Salinas, CA | $37,440 | 4,400 |
| Modesto, CA | $37,430 | 7,250 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $37,300 | 3,050 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $36,960 | 5,870 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $36,900 | 3,450 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $36,840 | 1,720 |
| Yuba City, CA | $36,780 | 1,590 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $36,720 | 7,560 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $36,620 | 9,180 |
| El Centro, CA | $36,600 | 1,670 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,480 | 153,840 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $36,440 | 9,400 |
| Merced, CA | $36,440 | 2,540 |
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