Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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 Cooks, Fast Food
Industry profile for Cooks, Fast Food
Geographic profile for Cooks, Fast Food
National estimates for Cooks, Fast Food:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Cooks, Fast Food:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 768,130 |
2.2 % |
$ 12.25 |
$ 25,490 |
0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Cooks, Fast Food:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 8.68 |
$ 10.39 |
$ 11.63 |
$ 14.19 |
$ 15.11 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 18,050 |
$ 21,610 |
$ 24,180 |
$ 29,510 |
$ 31,420 |
Industry profile for Cooks, Fast Food:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Cooks, Fast Food are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Cooks, Fast Food, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Cooks, Fast Food:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places |
744,680 |
7.90 |
$ 12.22 |
$ 25,420 |
| Gasoline Stations |
8,560 |
0.92 |
$ 12.28 |
$ 25,550 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
5,850 |
0.20 |
$ 13.36 |
$ 27,780 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries |
1,760 |
0.16 |
$ 13.67 |
$ 28,430 |
| Special Food Services |
1,590 |
0.33 |
$ 14.89 |
$ 30,960 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Cooks, Fast Food:
Top paying industries for Cooks, Fast Food:
Geographic profile for Cooks, Fast Food:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Cooks, Fast Food are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Cooks, Fast Food, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Cooks, Fast Food:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
123,640 |
7.48 |
1.37 |
$ 15.35 |
$ 31,930 |
| North Carolina |
78,870 |
17.84 |
3.27 |
$ 10.26 |
$ 21,340 |
| Florida |
41,040 |
4.77 |
0.87 |
$ 11.48 |
$ 23,870 |
| Missouri |
39,910 |
14.63 |
2.68 |
$ 11.90 |
$ 24,750 |
| Kentucky |
38,740 |
21.07 |
3.87 |
$ 10.00 |
$ 20,790 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cooks, Fast Food:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kentucky |
38,740 |
21.07 |
3.87 |
$ 10.00 |
$ 20,790 |
| North Carolina |
78,870 |
17.84 |
3.27 |
$ 10.26 |
$ 21,340 |
| Missouri |
39,910 |
14.63 |
2.68 |
$ 11.90 |
$ 24,750 |
| West Virginia |
9,290 |
14.12 |
2.59 |
$ 10.18 |
$ 21,170 |
| Oklahoma |
20,480 |
13.15 |
2.41 |
$ 10.90 |
$ 22,670 |
Top paying states for Cooks, Fast Food:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
1,990 |
3.01 |
0.55 |
$ 18.71 |
$ 38,920 |
| Hawaii |
720 |
1.31 |
0.24 |
$ 17.79 |
$ 37,010 |
| Washington |
9,750 |
3.04 |
0.56 |
$ 16.08 |
$ 33,450 |
| New York |
10,030 |
1.16 |
0.21 |
$ 15.71 |
$ 32,680 |
| Massachusetts |
4,640 |
1.37 |
0.25 |
$ 15.69 |
$ 32,620 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Cooks, Fast Food:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
41,060 |
7.18 |
1.32 |
$ 15.43 |
$ 32,090 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
24,020 |
11.35 |
2.08 |
$ 13.62 |
$ 28,330 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA |
17,960 |
11.74 |
2.15 |
$ 14.70 |
$ 30,570 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
16,770 |
13.86 |
2.54 |
$ 10.95 |
$ 22,780 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL |
15,220 |
11.92 |
2.19 |
$ 12.41 |
$ 25,810 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
14,550 |
3.44 |
0.63 |
$ 12.78 |
$ 26,590 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
14,000 |
1.61 |
0.30 |
$ 16.20 |
$ 33,700 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA |
11,650 |
8.38 |
1.54 |
$ 15.39 |
$ 32,020 |
| Raleigh, NC |
11,020 |
17.40 |
3.19 |
$ 10.58 |
$ 22,010 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS |
10,490 |
10.32 |
1.89 |
$ 12.33 |
$ 25,640 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cooks, Fast Food:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Jacksonville, NC |
1,750 |
36.41 |
6.68 |
$ 9.55 |
$ 19,860 |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY |
1,460 |
28.25 |
5.18 |
$ 9.58 |
$ 19,930 |
| Fayetteville, NC |
3,310 |
26.49 |
4.86 |
$ 9.82 |
$ 20,430 |
| Burlington, NC |
1,620 |
26.27 |
4.82 |
$ 10.20 |
$ 21,220 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ |
1,300 |
24.76 |
4.54 |
$ 13.15 |
$ 27,340 |
| Goldsboro, NC |
970 |
24.70 |
4.53 |
$ 9.68 |
$ 20,140 |
| Bowling Green, KY |
1,770 |
24.53 |
4.50 |
$ 9.50 |
$ 19,760 |
| New Bern, NC |
1,020 |
23.71 |
4.35 |
$ 9.72 |
$ 20,220 |
| Rocky Mount, NC |
1,250 |
23.48 |
4.31 |
$ 9.62 |
$ 20,020 |
| Greenville, NC |
1,690 |
22.42 |
4.11 |
$ 9.99 |
$ 20,770 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Cooks, Fast Food:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Urban Honolulu, HI |
490 |
1.24 |
0.23 |
$ 17.70 |
$ 36,820 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
5,290 |
4.95 |
0.91 |
$ 17.62 |
$ 36,640 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
5,030 |
2.62 |
0.48 |
$ 16.85 |
$ 35,040 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
9,750 |
4.35 |
0.80 |
$ 16.79 |
$ 34,930 |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT |
280 |
2.44 |
0.45 |
$ 16.70 |
$ 34,740 |
| Napa, CA |
380 |
5.47 |
1.00 |
$ 16.29 |
$ 33,880 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
14,000 |
1.61 |
0.30 |
$ 16.20 |
$ 33,700 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
3,230 |
1.25 |
0.23 |
$ 16.18 |
$ 33,660 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
960 |
5.00 |
0.92 |
$ 16.15 |
$ 33,590 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
210 |
4.39 |
0.80 |
$ 16.14 |
$ 33,580 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Cooks, Fast Food:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
6,590 |
27.41 |
5.03 |
$ 9.63 |
$ 20,030 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
4,260 |
24.58 |
4.51 |
$ 9.45 |
$ 19,650 |
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
4,250 |
17.42 |
3.20 |
$ 10.02 |
$ 20,840 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
4,060 |
24.86 |
4.56 |
$ 9.25 |
$ 19,230 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area |
3,290 |
21.42 |
3.93 |
$ 11.26 |
$ 23,420 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Cooks, Fast Food:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
2,660 |
27.90 |
5.12 |
$ 9.19 |
$ 19,110 |
| Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area |
6,590 |
27.41 |
5.03 |
$ 9.63 |
$ 20,030 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
4,060 |
24.86 |
4.56 |
$ 9.25 |
$ 19,230 |
| Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
4,260 |
24.58 |
4.51 |
$ 9.45 |
$ 19,650 |
| West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
3,170 |
22.13 |
4.06 |
$ 9.57 |
$ 19,900 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Cooks, Fast Food:
About May 2021 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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
