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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

35-3023 Fast Food and Counter Workers

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),

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

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
3,996,820 0.6 % $11.18 $23,250 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.45 $9.24 $10.93 $12.39 $14.62
Annual Wage (2) $17,580 $19,210 $22,740 $25,780 $30,410

Industry profile for this occupation:

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 3,150,590 29.13 $10.90 $22,670
Special Food Services 200,230 27.26 $11.92 $24,800
Elementary and Secondary Schools 154,900 1.80 $12.39 $25,770
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 130,100 4.47 $12.44 $25,870
Gasoline Stations 43,480 4.66 $10.99 $22,850

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 3,150,590 29.13 $10.90 $22,670
Special Food Services 200,230 27.26 $11.92 $24,800
Amusement Parks and Arcades 19,460 8.96 $11.03 $22,940
Motion Picture and Video Industries 32,100 7.48 $11.26 $23,420
Book Stores and News Dealers 4,960 6.45 $11.61 $24,150

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 70 0.18 $19.32 $40,190
Rail Transportation (8) (8) $16.66 $34,640
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 7,850 0.39 $16.42 $34,150
Scientific Research and Development Services 50 0.01 $15.03 $31,250
Educational Support Services 180 0.09 $14.78 $30,740

Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 436,540 25.11 0.92 $13.38 $27,830
Texas 419,820 33.77 1.24 $10.24 $21,290
Florida 242,300 27.55 1.01 $10.40 $21,640
New York 211,970 22.26 0.82 $13.32 $27,700
Ohio 175,500 32.21 1.18 $10.22 $21,270




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)
South Carolina 73,730 34.98 1.29 $9.37 $19,500
Kentucky 65,690 34.63 1.27 $9.58 $19,930
Texas 419,820 33.77 1.24 $10.24 $21,290
Arkansas 40,720 33.45 1.23 $9.99 $20,780
Indiana 101,290 32.95 1.21 $9.90 $20,580




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 9,670 13.36 0.49 $16.18 $33,660
Washington 97,240 29.30 1.08 $14.11 $29,360
Massachusetts 88,330 24.40 0.90 $13.47 $28,020
California 436,540 25.11 0.92 $13.38 $27,830
New York 211,970 22.26 0.82 $13.32 $27,700





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)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 187,240 19.39 0.71 $12.97 $26,970
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 154,980 24.84 0.91 $12.94 $26,910
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 119,320 25.51 0.94 $11.52 $23,960
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 113,590 31.06 1.14 $10.46 $21,760
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 94,310 30.90 1.14 $10.16 $21,130
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 73,840 26.91 0.99 $9.72 $20,210
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 73,650 25.60 0.94 $11.24 $23,370
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 65,310 20.54 0.75 $12.86 $26,760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 64,860 24.55 0.90 $10.46 $21,770
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 64,500 23.05 0.85 $13.38 $27,830