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 2021

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 Fast Food and Counter Workers
Industry profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Geographic profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers

National estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,095,120 0.9 % $ 12.53 $ 26,060 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 8.77 $ 10.56 $ 12.07 $ 14.27 $ 15.51
Annual Wage (2) $ 18,230 $ 21,970 $ 25,100 $ 29,680 $ 32,250


Industry profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,556,760 27.11 $ 12.26 $ 25,490
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 122,760 4.15 $ 13.94 $ 28,990
Special Food Services 92,810 19.59 $ 13.44 $ 27,960
Elementary and Secondary Schools 92,310 1.14 $ 13.87 $ 28,840
General Merchandise Stores 35,890 1.16 $ 15.69 $ 32,640

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,556,760 27.11 $ 12.26 $ 25,490
Special Food Services 92,810 19.59 $ 13.44 $ 27,960
Amusement Parks and Arcades 9,650 6.29 $ 12.26 $ 25,490
Book Stores and News Dealers 3,360 6.19 $ 12.18 $ 25,330
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing 12,280 4.16 $ 14.09 $ 29,320

Top paying industries for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 7,090 0.34 $ 18.21 $ 37,880
Furniture Stores 970 0.46 $ 17.10 $ 35,560
Offices of Physicians (8) (8) $ 17.08 $ 35,530
Religious Organizations 330 0.18 $ 17.03 $ 35,410
Animal Slaughtering and Processing 220 0.04 $ 16.70 $ 34,730


Geographic profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

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



Map of employment of fast food and counter workers by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 360,980 21.84 0.99 $ 15.61 $ 32,460
Texas 353,500 28.91 1.32 $ 10.80 $ 22,460
Florida 178,960 20.80 0.95 $ 11.20 $ 23,290
New York 161,790 18.66 0.85 $ 14.96 $ 31,120
Pennsylvania 121,170 21.70 0.99 $ 11.25 $ 23,400


Map of location quotient of fast food and counter workers by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 17,560 32.03 1.46 $ 13.85 $ 28,810
South Dakota 12,620 29.96 1.36 $ 12.09 $ 25,150
Utah 45,490 29.26 1.33 $ 11.89 $ 24,730
Oregon 53,030 29.05 1.32 $ 14.42 $ 30,000
Arkansas 34,530 28.99 1.32 $ 11.68 $ 24,290


Map of annual mean wages of fast food and counter workers by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 6,070 9.17 0.42 $ 16.56 $ 34,450
Washington 88,330 27.55 1.25 $ 15.82 $ 32,910
California 360,980 21.84 0.99 $ 15.61 $ 32,460
Massachusetts 78,480 23.12 1.05 $ 14.99 $ 31,170
Arizona 51,240 17.79 0.81 $ 14.98 $ 31,150



Map of employment of fast food and counter workers by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

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 137,630 15.86 0.72 $ 15.12 $ 31,450
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 132,740 23.21 1.06 $ 15.33 $ 31,890
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 107,860 30.05 1.37 $ 11.35 $ 23,610
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 84,090 19.87 0.90 $ 12.77 $ 26,560
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 73,130 25.24 1.15 $ 11.04 $ 22,960
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 63,520 24.55 1.12 $ 11.60 $ 24,120
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 57,440 19.59 0.89 $ 13.99 $ 29,100
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 55,350 21.41 0.97 $ 15.00 $ 31,210
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 51,870 19.54 0.89 $ 12.33 $ 25,650
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 48,180 25.12 1.14 $ 16.46 $ 34,240


Map of location quotient of fast food and counter workers by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lubbock, TX 6,560 45.87 2.09 $ 10.14 $ 21,100
Grants Pass, OR 1,160 41.04 1.87 $ 13.58 $ 28,250
Lawrence, KS 1,870 40.75 1.85 $ 10.39 $ 21,600
Muncie, IN 1,770 40.63 1.85 $ 10.60 $ 22,050
Bay City, MI 1,300 40.62 1.85 $ 11.80 $ 24,540
Killeen-Temple, TX 5,610 40.20 1.83 $ 10.20 $ 21,220
Muskegon, MI 2,280 40.13 1.83 $ 11.50 $ 23,930
Monroe, MI 1,440 39.77 1.81 $ 11.82 $ 24,590
Kokomo, IN 1,420 39.38 1.79 $ 11.20 $ 23,300
Hinesville, GA 740 38.72 1.76 $ 10.96 $ 22,810


Map of annual mean wages of fast food and counter workers by area, May 2021


Top paying metropolitan areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 17,430 16.31 0.74 $ 17.83 $ 37,090
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 39,970 17.83 0.81 $ 17.48 $ 36,360
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 48,180 25.12 1.14 $ 16.46 $ 34,240
Napa, CA 1,260 18.30 0.83 $ 16.37 $ 34,050
Santa Rosa, CA 4,400 22.92 1.04 $ 15.93 $ 33,130
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 3,810 29.38 1.34 $ 15.78 $ 32,820
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 2,450 26.20 1.19 $ 15.74 $ 32,730
Salinas, CA 3,590 21.21 0.97 $ 15.65 $ 32,550
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 3,290 29.39 1.34 $ 15.59 $ 32,430
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 1,390 29.51 1.34 $ 15.57 $ 32,390

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 9,230 34.73 1.58 $ 9.81 $ 20,410
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 8,790 23.41 1.07 $ 10.56 $ 21,970
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 7,740 24.62 1.12 $ 10.69 $ 22,230
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 7,020 27.77 1.26 $ 11.87 $ 24,690
South Georgia nonmetropolitan area 6,000 32.64 1.49 $ 10.26 $ 21,330

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Utah nonmetropolitan area 2,000 37.60 1.71 $ 11.72 $ 24,370
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 2,230 36.76 1.67 $ 13.54 $ 28,160
North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 3,980 35.23 1.60 $ 11.35 $ 23,620
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 9,230 34.73 1.58 $ 9.81 $ 20,410
Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 3,520 33.91 1.54 $ 10.07 $ 20,940

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 1,670 28.93 1.32 $ 15.41 $ 32,040
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 2,250 22.95 1.04 $ 15.15 $ 31,500
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 2,400 24.06 1.10 $ 15.13 $ 31,480
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,520 26.48 1.21 $ 15.12 $ 31,450
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 4,050 33.85 1.54 $ 15.07 $ 31,340


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.

(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