Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 35-3023 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$31,200
$15.00/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 Fast Food and Counter Workers is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $27,706 and $36,067 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $42,661 per year. There are approximately 3,854,050 fast food and counter workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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),
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.1%
Faster than average
Annual openings
904K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
3.8M
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
3% from new growth97% 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
3.2M
$30,510
Special Food Services
NAICS 722300
152K
$34,480
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
134K
$34,720
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
109K
$35,330
Gasoline Stations
NAICS 457100
43K
$32,240
Wage range across top 5 industries: $30,510 to $35,330 (16% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$10.98
$22,838
P25
$13.32
$27,706
P50MEDIAN
$15.00
$31,200
P75
$17.34
$36,067
P90
$20.51
$42,661
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 fast food and counter workers salary?
The national median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers is $31,200 per year ($15.00/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $27,706 and $36,067 annually.
How much do top-earning fast food and counter workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers is $42,661 per year ($20.51/hr). The 75th percentile is $36,067 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for fast food and counter workers?
Entry-level Fast Food and Counter Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $22,838 per year ($10.98/hr). The 25th percentile is $27,706 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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