Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

35-2011 Cooks, Fast Food

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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
503,780 1.8 % $10.39 $21,610 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.24 $9.00 $10.12 $11.50 $13.17
Annual Wage (2) $17,140 $18,730 $21,040 $23,910 $27,400


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 482,960 4.60 $10.35 $21,530
Gasoline Stations 4,330 0.47 $10.15 $21,120
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 4,190 0.14 $11.29 $23,480
Other Amusement and Recreation Industries 2,330 0.18 $11.56 $24,050
Special Food Services 1,940 0.28 $11.36 $23,630

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 482,960 4.60 $10.35 $21,530
Amusement Parks and Arcades 1,550 0.78 $10.96 $22,810
Gasoline Stations 4,330 0.47 $10.15 $21,120
Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) 1,260 0.32 $10.73 $22,320
Special Food Services 1,940 0.28 $11.36 $23,630

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Furniture Stores 160 0.07 $15.11 $31,420
General Merchandise Stores 230 0.01 $14.58 $30,330
Traveler Accommodation 1,210 0.06 $13.75 $28,610
Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores 60 0.04 $12.87 $26,770
Elementary and Secondary Schools 50 (7) $12.83 $26,690


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 110,470 6.62 1.87 $11.53 $23,990
Texas 43,420 3.65 1.03 $9.83 $20,450
Arizona 20,850 7.71 2.18 $10.81 $22,480
Georgia 18,490 4.30 1.22 $9.20 $19,140
Ohio 18,400 3.43 0.97 $9.83 $20,440




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mississippi 11,890 10.62 3.00 $8.73 $18,160
Idaho 7,070 10.32 2.92 $8.79 $18,280
Oklahoma 14,060 8.94 2.53 $9.04 $18,800
Arizona 20,850 7.71 2.18 $10.81 $22,480
Nevada 9,110 6.95 1.97 $10.42 $21,670




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 2,340 3.69 1.04 $13.50 $28,070
District of Columbia 2,070 2.92 0.83 $13.29 $27,640
Washington 6,020 1.89 0.53 $13.20 $27,460
Massachusetts 7,100 2.01 0.57 $12.90 $26,820
Alaska 840 2.63 0.75 $12.61 $26,230



<

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 28,140 6.35 1.80 $11.43 $23,770
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 16,110 8.14 2.30 $10.92 $22,710
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 14,610 10.18 2.88 $11.16 $23,210
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 11,910 4.54 1.29 $9.35 $19,440
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 11,780 7.29 2.06 $11.68 $24,290
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 10,940 1.63 0.46 $10.97 $22,810
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 8,800 3.49 0.99 $10.79 $22,440
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 8,390 5.85 1.66 $12.00 $24,960
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 8,240 2.25 0.64 $10.68 $22,220
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 8,210 2.80 0.79 $10.31 $21,440


<

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Jackson, MS 4,100 15.60 4.41 $8.79 $18,280
Enid, OK 390 15.16 4.29 $8.92 $18,550
Jackson, TN 880 13.50 3.82 $8.71 $18,110
Merced, CA 910 13.20 3.73 $10.96 $22,800
Morristown, TN 530 12.52 3.54 $8.90 $18,510
Boise City, ID 3,840 12.45 3.52 $8.68 $18,060
Pocatello, ID 380 11.50 3.25 $8.84 $18,390
Lawton, OK 500 11.47 3.24 $8.83 $18,360
Clarksville, TN-KY 960 11.46 3.24 $8.99 $18,700
Hattiesburg, MS 690 11.23 3.18 $8.92 $18,550


<

Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Norwich-New London-Westerly, CT-RI (8) (8) (8) $14.40 $29,960
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 2,400 1.46 0.41 $13.70 $28,500
Taunton-Middleborough-Norton, MA NECTA Division (8) (8) (8) $13.61 $28,310
Urban Honolulu, HI 1,760 3.82 1.08 $13.56 $28,210
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division 1,050 1.79 0.51 $13.42 $27,920
Bellingham, WA (8) (8) (8) $13.42 $27,910
Olympia-Tumwater, WA (8) (8) (8) $13.38 $27,830
Tacoma-Lakewood, WA Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $13.25 $27,570
Walla Walla, WA (8) (8) (8) $13.04 $27,120
Springfield, MA-CT 800 2.44 0.69 $12.99 $27,020

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 2,080 12.34 3.49 $9.13 $18,990
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,840 7.98 2.26 $8.63 $17,960
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 1,810 7.15 2.02 $9.06 $18,840
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,800 12.05 3.41 $8.64 $17,980
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 1,390 4.18 1.18 $9.42 $19,590

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 670 15.05 4.26 $8.45 $17,580
Southwest Idaho nonmetropolitan area 270 13.19 3.73 $8.95 $18,620
Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 710 12.48 3.53 $8.93 $18,570
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 890 12.43 3.52 $8.72 $18,140
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 2,080 12.34 3.49 $9.13 $18,990

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $15.88 $33,030
Southwest Washington nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $13.92 $28,940
East Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 160 3.92 1.11 $13.82 $28,730
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $13.75 $28,600
Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $13.43 $27,940


About May 2017 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2017 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2017 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2018