Average Salary for Cooks, Fast Food
SOC 35-2011 · Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Cooks, Fast Food in the United States is $30,160 ($14.50/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $22,370 at the 10th percentile to $38,980 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 668,230 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 62.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$30,160
Mean Annual
$31,140
10th Pct
$22,370
75th Pct
$35,710
Employment
668,230
Salary Distribution
$22k
10th
$27k
25th
$30k
Median
$36k
75th
$39k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $41,980 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $41,800 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $40,580 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39,260 |
| Napa, CA | $39,210 |
| Vallejo, CA | $39,110 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,830 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $38,250 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $38,040 |
| Salinas, CA | $37,960 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37,730 |
| Carson City, NV | $37,700 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $37,670 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $37,360 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $37,250 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $40,300 |
| District of Columbia | $38,350 |
| New Hampshire | $37,220 |
| Massachusetts | $37,100 |
| Vermont | $37,050 |
| Oregon | $37,020 |
| Washington | $36,800 |
| California | $36,410 |
| Alaska | $35,820 |
| Maine | $35,780 |
| Rhode Island | $35,600 |
| Colorado | $35,140 |
| New York | $34,160 |
| New Jersey | $33,930 |
| Connecticut | $33,760 |
| Nevada | $32,690 |
| Wyoming | $32,190 |
| Maryland | $31,770 |
| Illinois | $31,580 |
| Arizona | $31,090 |
| Minnesota | $30,810 |
| South Dakota | $30,640 |
| Utah | $29,960 |
| Missouri | $29,450 |
| North Dakota | $29,350 |
| Michigan | $29,340 |
| Nebraska | $29,210 |
| Delaware | $28,950 |
| Florida | $28,940 |
| New Mexico | $28,830 |
| Iowa | $28,770 |
| Virginia | $28,660 |
| Indiana | $28,610 |
| Wisconsin | $28,400 |
| Kansas | $28,100 |
| Tennessee | $28,010 |
| Oklahoma | $27,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $27,440 |
| North Carolina | $26,750 |
| Alabama | $26,690 |
| Ohio | $26,520 |
| Georgia | $26,470 |
| Montana | $26,260 |
| Idaho | $26,130 |
| Arkansas | $24,700 |
| Texas | $24,390 |
| South Carolina | $23,930 |
| Kentucky | $23,420 |
| West Virginia | $22,800 |
| Mississippi | $22,250 |
| Guam | $22,100 |
| Louisiana | $21,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,300 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Cooks, Fast Food broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Beverage Manufacturing | $44,930 |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | $44,930 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $42,710 |
| Educational Services | $42,710 |
| Traveler Accommodation | $42,630 |
| Accommodation | $42,120 |
| Casino Hotels | $42,090 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $38,890 |
| Gambling Industries | $38,590 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $37,960 |
| Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers | $37,840 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $37,480 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $37,300 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $37,130 |
| Educational Services | $37,030 |
| Manufacturing | $36,180 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $35,820 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers | $35,430 |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $35,400 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $35,300 |
| Spectator Sports | $35,260 |
| Special Food Services | $34,960 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | $34,780 |
| Amusement Parks and Arcades | $34,530 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | $34,330 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $34,320 |
| Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) | $34,010 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $33,810 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $33,790 |
| Food Manufacturing | $33,790 |
| Temporary Help Services | $33,280 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | $33,280 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $33,280 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $33,280 |
| Employment Services | $33,280 |
| Information | $33,170 |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $33,170 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | $33,170 |
| Motion Picture and Video Exhibition | $33,170 |
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | $32,740 |
| Social Assistance | $32,720 |
| Child Care Services | $32,720 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $32,320 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $31,690 |
| Wholesale Trade | $31,650 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $31,530 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $31,530 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $31,530 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $31,490 |
| Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) | $30,820 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities | $30,820 |
| Retail Trade | $30,730 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $30,160 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $30,140 |
| Food Services and Drinking Places | $30,130 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | $30,110 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $30,050 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $30,010 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $30,010 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $30,010 |
| Full-Service Restaurants | $29,990 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $28,860 |
| Civic and Social Organizations | $28,860 |
| Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers | $28,750 |
| Gasoline Stations | $28,750 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $24,480 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $24,480 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $24,480 |
| Hospitals | $23,780 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $23,780 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | $21,300 |
| Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers | $18,860 |
| General Merchandise Retailers | $17,430 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $30,160 |
| 2023 | $29,260 |
| 2022 | $27,640 |
| 2021 | $24,180 |
| 2020 | $24,380 |
| 2019 | $23,510 |
| 2018 | $22,330 |
| 2017 | $21,040 |
| 2016 | $19,860 |
| 2015 | $19,080 |
| 2014 | $18,540 |