Cooks, Fast Food Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-2011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$30,888
$14.85/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Cooks, Fast Food is $30,888 per year ($14.85/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $27,269 and $37,274 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $42,910 per year. There are approximately 641,070 cooks, fast food employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-13.5%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
82K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
670K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Restaurants and Other Eating Places
NAICS 722500
615K
$30,780
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
9K
$36,440
Gasoline Stations
NAICS 457100
5K
$28,600
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
4K
$37,130
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries
NAICS 713900
1K
$34,830
Wage range across top 5 industries: $28,600 to $37,130 (30% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$10.86
$22,589
P25
$13.11
$27,269
P50MEDIAN
$14.85
$30,888
P75
$17.92
$37,274
P90
$20.63
$42,910
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cooks, fast food salary?
The national median salary for Cooks, Fast Food is $30,888 per year ($14.85/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $27,269 and $37,274 annually.
How much do top-earning cooks, fast food make?
The 90th percentile salary for Cooks, Fast Food is $42,910 per year ($20.63/hr). The 75th percentile is $37,274 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for cooks, fast food?
Entry-level Cooks, Fast Food (10th percentile) earn approximately $22,589 per year ($10.86/hr). The 25th percentile is $27,269 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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