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 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