SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $22,580 | $1,882 | $434 | $10.86 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $27,260 | $2,272 | $524 | $13.11 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $30,890 | $2,574 | $594 | $14.85 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $37,260 | $3,105 | $717 | $17.92 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $42,910 | $3,576 | $825 | $20.63 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Cooks, Fast Food is $30,890, which is 39% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 17 by median pay. With 641,070 jobs, it makes up about 41 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Cooks, Fast Food pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($48,120), District of Columbia ($44,670) and California ($42,050). The lowest was in Guam ($21,690), Puerto Rico ($22,640) and Mississippi ($22,670). The most jobs were in California (124,440), North Carolina (81,980) and Missouri (55,780). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 5.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | not published | $48,120 | $41,670 | $23.14 |
| District of Columbia | 2,760 | $44,670 | $43,710 | $21.48 |
| California | 124,440 | $42,050 | $41,490 | $20.21 |
| Washington | 9,020 | $39,120 | $41,420 | $18.81 |
| New Hampshire | 1,330 | $38,590 | $40,390 | $18.55 |
| Vermont | 640 | $38,230 | $37,110 | $18.38 |
| Oregon | 4,300 | $37,880 | $39,310 | $18.21 |
| Massachusetts | not published | $37,870 | $40,080 | $18.21 |
| Colorado | 9,220 | $36,900 | $38,400 | $17.74 |
| Maine | 1,470 | $36,350 | $36,740 | $17.48 |
| New York | 11,710 | $35,770 | $36,800 | $17.20 |
| Rhode Island | 1,210 | $35,230 | $33,960 | $16.94 |
| Connecticut | 3,630 | $34,980 | $36,360 | $16.82 |
| Illinois | 13,430 | $34,960 | $35,340 | $16.81 |
| Minnesota | 5,190 | $34,120 | $34,010 | $16.41 |
| Alaska | 2,250 | $33,960 | $34,320 | $16.33 |
| Nevada | 5,890 | $33,840 | $34,060 | $16.27 |
| Maryland | 10,960 | $33,320 | $34,260 | $16.02 |
| Arizona | 11,210 | $32,660 | $33,330 | $15.70 |
| New Jersey | 3,440 | $32,220 | $35,240 | $15.49 |
| Delaware | 850 | $31,840 | $35,780 | $15.31 |
| Utah | 4,400 | $31,800 | $34,230 | $15.29 |
| Idaho | 1,610 | $31,070 | $29,060 | $14.94 |
| South Dakota | 1,720 | $30,950 | $31,230 | $14.88 |
| Nebraska | 2,900 | $30,430 | $31,910 | $14.63 |
| North Dakota | 580 | $30,220 | $31,850 | $14.53 |
| New Mexico | 1,800 | $30,190 | $32,010 | $14.52 |
| Virginia | 12,520 | $29,950 | $31,980 | $14.40 |
| Florida | 22,600 | $29,900 | $32,230 | $14.37 |
| Missouri | 55,780 | $29,890 | $30,990 | $14.37 |
| Indiana | 6,830 | $29,870 | $30,720 | $14.36 |
| Michigan | 14,340 | $29,460 | $30,400 | $14.17 |
| Wyoming | 890 | $28,950 | $30,030 | $13.92 |
| Wisconsin | 6,900 | $28,920 | $29,310 | $13.90 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,240 | $28,810 | $30,580 | $13.85 |
| Kansas | 1,610 | $28,640 | $29,460 | $13.77 |
| Iowa | 8,290 | $28,510 | $27,600 | $13.71 |
| Tennessee | 14,020 | $28,330 | $29,480 | $13.62 |
| Texas | 36,240 | $28,280 | $29,680 | $13.60 |
| Alabama | 26,740 | $27,870 | $27,570 | $13.40 |
| Oklahoma | 8,860 | $27,720 | $28,200 | $13.33 |
| Arkansas | 7,860 | $27,710 | $27,770 | $13.32 |
| South Carolina | 9,110 | $27,420 | $28,080 | $13.18 |
| North Carolina | 81,980 | $27,190 | $27,080 | $13.07 |
| Georgia | 12,940 | $26,940 | $27,560 | $12.95 |
| Ohio | 12,310 | $26,870 | $27,860 | $12.92 |
| Montana | 820 | $26,770 | $30,260 | $12.87 |
| Louisiana | 3,000 | $24,960 | $25,130 | $12.00 |
| Kentucky | 21,750 | $23,500 | $25,300 | $11.30 |
| West Virginia | 16,490 | $23,120 | $24,720 | $11.12 |
| Mississippi | 11,170 | $22,670 | $23,560 | $10.90 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,810 | $22,640 | $25,130 | $10.88 |
| Guam | 650 | $21,690 | $21,800 | $10.43 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980 a year
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200 a year
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$31,200 a year
Common questions
How much do Cooks, Fast Food earn in the United States?
The median pay was $30,890 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22,580 and the highest-paid 10% more than $42,910.
How many people work as Cooks, Fast Food?
About 641,070 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.