SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Counter attendants who also wait tables are included in “Waiters and Waitresses” (35-3031),
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 35-3023.
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 | $22,840 | $1,903 | $439 | $10.98 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $27,700 | $2,308 | $533 | $13.32 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $31,200 | $2,600 | $600 | $15.00 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $36,070 | $3,006 | $694 | $17.34 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $42,650 | $3,554 | $820 | $20.51 |
* 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 Fast Food and Counter Workers is $31,200, which is 39% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Food Preparation and Serving Related, it ranks number 15 by median pay. With 3,854,050 jobs, it makes up about 248 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Fast Food and Counter Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($42,280), Washington ($37,710) and District of Columbia ($37,430). The lowest was in Guam ($20,770), Puerto Rico ($22,030) and Mississippi ($22,610). The most jobs were in Texas (460,530), California (449,840) and Florida (235,400). The occupation is most concentrated in Hawaii, where its share of all jobs is 1.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 449,840 | $42,280 | $41,680 | $20.33 |
| Washington | 94,710 | $37,710 | $40,390 | $18.13 |
| District of Columbia | 5,500 | $37,430 | $39,840 | $18.00 |
| Colorado | 82,010 | $36,270 | $36,890 | $17.44 |
| Vermont | 6,830 | $36,030 | $37,610 | $17.32 |
| Massachusetts | 85,810 | $35,850 | $35,880 | $17.24 |
| Connecticut | 35,720 | $35,380 | $36,330 | $17.01 |
| Hawaii | 24,130 | $35,250 | $35,810 | $16.95 |
| New York | 168,620 | $35,250 | $36,920 | $16.95 |
| Oregon | 59,920 | $35,050 | $36,200 | $16.85 |
| Maine | 17,250 | $34,710 | $35,880 | $16.69 |
| Arizona | 77,210 | $34,230 | $35,090 | $16.46 |
| New Jersey | 93,730 | $34,150 | $35,110 | $16.42 |
| Illinois | 127,590 | $33,910 | $34,280 | $16.30 |
| Maryland | 49,380 | $33,660 | $34,210 | $16.18 |
| Alaska | 5,900 | $33,280 | $34,500 | $16.00 |
| Nevada | 45,850 | $31,950 | $32,820 | $15.36 |
| New Hampshire | 14,540 | $31,590 | $32,120 | $15.19 |
| Rhode Island | 13,310 | $31,490 | $34,040 | $15.14 |
| Minnesota | 58,970 | $31,370 | $32,450 | $15.08 |
| Delaware | 13,310 | $31,300 | $33,650 | $15.05 |
| Missouri | 29,360 | $30,390 | $32,130 | $14.61 |
| Virginia | 104,460 | $30,110 | $31,930 | $14.48 |
| North Dakota | 11,470 | $30,080 | $31,260 | $14.46 |
| South Dakota | 15,150 | $29,490 | $30,900 | $14.18 |
| Montana | 14,960 | $29,090 | $30,120 | $13.98 |
| Florida | 235,400 | $29,080 | $30,940 | $13.98 |
| Nebraska | 30,060 | $29,000 | $30,910 | $13.94 |
| Idaho | 25,810 | $28,940 | $28,630 | $13.91 |
| Michigan | 103,130 | $28,930 | $30,260 | $13.91 |
| Indiana | 97,290 | $28,790 | $28,980 | $13.84 |
| New Mexico | 28,250 | $28,700 | $30,260 | $13.80 |
| Utah | 52,340 | $28,670 | $29,100 | $13.78 |
| Wisconsin | 67,750 | $28,600 | $29,110 | $13.75 |
| North Carolina | 92,230 | $28,570 | $29,050 | $13.74 |
| Pennsylvania | 142,220 | $28,570 | $28,930 | $13.74 |
| Ohio | 163,560 | $28,430 | $28,900 | $13.67 |
| Iowa | 40,290 | $28,390 | $28,940 | $13.65 |
| Wyoming | 7,060 | $27,860 | $27,520 | $13.40 |
| Texas | 460,530 | $27,740 | $27,750 | $13.34 |
| Kansas | 47,140 | $27,580 | $27,190 | $13.26 |
| South Carolina | 65,070 | $27,520 | $27,840 | $13.23 |
| Tennessee | 90,690 | $27,470 | $27,870 | $13.21 |
| Kentucky | 41,860 | $27,130 | $26,890 | $13.04 |
| Georgia | 145,030 | $26,920 | $27,290 | $12.94 |
| Arkansas | 35,660 | $26,250 | $26,890 | $12.62 |
| West Virginia | 6,240 | $26,070 | $26,780 | $12.54 |
| Virgin Islands | 840 | $24,410 | $25,310 | $11.74 |
| Alabama | 41,460 | $23,700 | $25,600 | $11.40 |
| Oklahoma | 52,520 | $23,430 | $25,050 | $11.27 |
| Louisiana | 45,720 | $22,800 | $24,580 | $10.96 |
| Mississippi | 31,220 | $22,610 | $23,880 | $10.87 |
| Puerto Rico | 26,440 | $22,030 | $22,500 | $10.59 |
| Guam | 1,130 | $20,770 | $21,310 | $9.99 |
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
- Dishwashers$34,810 a year
- Bartenders$34,340 a year
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$33,980 a year
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$31,200 a year
- Cooks, Fast Food$30,890 a year
Common questions
How much do Fast Food and Counter Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $31,200 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22,840 and the highest-paid 10% more than $42,650.
How many people work as Fast Food and Counter Workers?
About 3,854,050 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.