Cooks, fast food salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22,580 | $10.86 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $30,890 | $14.85 |
| Mean (average) | $32,390 | $15.57 |
| 90th percentile | $42,910 | $20.63 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Cooks, fast food pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 53 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $27,870 | $22,640 | $34,170 | 26,740 | 3.07 |
| Alaska | $33,960 | $30,160 | $37,760 | 2,250 | 1.68 |
| Arizona | $32,660 | $30,580 | $36,440 | 11,210 | 0.84 |
| Arkansas | $27,710 | $23,770 | $32,720 | 7,860 | 1.46 |
| California | $42,050 | $35,750 | $48,750 | 124,440 | 1.66 |
| Colorado | $36,900 | $31,970 | $46,610 | 9,220 | 0.78 |
| Connecticut | $34,980 | $34,010 | $42,640 | 3,630 | 0.52 |
| Delaware | $31,840 | $31,200 | $48,870 | 850 | 0.43 |
| District of Columbia | $44,670 | $36,480 | $51,260 | 2,760 | 0.96 |
| Florida | $29,900 | $27,460 | $41,400 | 22,600 | 0.55 |
| Georgia | $26,940 | $20,800 | $36,810 | 12,940 | 0.64 |
| Guam | $21,690 | $21,120 | $22,820 | 650 | 2.36 |
| Hawaii | $48,120 | $29,120 | $53,580 | ||
| Idaho | $31,070 | $18,620 | $35,860 | 1,610 | 0.45 |
| Illinois | $34,960 | $31,200 | $40,580 | 13,430 | 0.53 |
| Indiana | $29,870 | $24,050 | $37,310 | 6,830 | 0.52 |
| Iowa | $28,510 | $15,080 | $40,810 | 8,290 | 1.29 |
| Kansas | $28,640 | $22,480 | $38,680 | 1,610 | 0.27 |
| Kentucky | $23,500 | $21,220 | $30,000 | 21,750 | 2.64 |
| Louisiana | $24,960 | $20,890 | $29,640 | 3,000 | 0.38 |
| Maine | $36,350 | $31,350 | $44,280 | 1,470 | 0.56 |
| Maryland | $33,320 | $31,200 | $38,210 | 10,960 | 0.96 |
| Massachusetts | $37,870 | $35,590 | $48,140 | ||
| Michigan | $29,460 | $25,960 | $37,240 | 14,340 | 0.79 |
| Minnesota | $34,120 | $24,550 | $39,560 | 5,190 | 0.43 |
| Mississippi | $22,670 | $18,540 | $28,790 | 11,170 | 2.33 |
| Missouri | $29,890 | $28,600 | $35,290 | 55,780 | 4.61 |
| Montana | $26,770 | $22,090 | $47,100 | 820 | 0.39 |
| Nebraska | $30,430 | $28,080 | $36,910 | 2,900 | 0.69 |
| Nevada | $33,840 | $26,530 | $43,440 | 5,890 | 0.92 |
| New Hampshire | $38,590 | $35,720 | $45,930 | 1,330 | 0.47 |
| New Jersey | $32,220 | $32,220 | $41,860 | 3,440 | 0.19 |
| New Mexico | $30,190 | $27,860 | $37,550 | 1,800 | 0.5 |
| New York | $35,770 | $32,770 | $40,250 | 11,710 | 0.29 |
| North Carolina | $27,190 | $21,890 | $34,860 | 81,980 | 4.02 |
| North Dakota | $30,220 | $23,060 | $38,480 | 580 | 0.32 |
| Ohio | $26,870 | $22,500 | $35,570 | 12,310 | 0.54 |
| Oklahoma | $27,720 | $22,340 | $36,900 | 8,860 | 1.26 |
| Oregon | $37,880 | $31,610 | $49,240 | 4,300 | 0.53 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,810 | $22,610 | $42,380 | 9,240 | 0.37 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,640 | $21,840 | $29,000 | 3,810 | 0.98 |
| Rhode Island | $35,230 | $31,200 | $38,470 | 1,210 | 0.59 |
| South Carolina | $27,420 | $21,690 | $37,140 | 9,110 | 0.96 |
| South Dakota | $30,950 | $25,410 | $34,910 | 1,720 | 0.91 |
| Tennessee | $28,330 | $20,380 | $38,330 | 14,020 | 1.04 |
| Texas | $28,280 | $20,800 | $39,140 | 36,240 | 0.62 |
| Utah | $31,800 | $27,760 | $47,200 | 4,400 | 0.61 |
| Vermont | $38,230 | $31,540 | $39,650 | 640 | 0.51 |
| Virginia | $29,950 | $27,400 | $37,730 | 12,520 | 0.74 |
| Washington | $39,120 | $35,330 | $44,860 | 9,020 | 0.62 |
| West Virginia | $23,120 | $21,600 | $28,300 | 16,490 | 5.7 |
| Wisconsin | $28,920 | $22,550 | $34,920 | 6,900 | 0.57 |
| Wyoming | $28,950 | $21,240 | $42,520 | 890 | 0.77 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for cooks, fast food
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 86,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for cooks, fast food
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- RestaurantPlus PRO
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Coordination, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Operations Monitoring.
Common job titles: Cook, Cook Line Worker, Fast Food Cook, Food Cook, Fry Cook, Fryer, Grill Cook, Line Cook, Pizza Cook, Pizza Maker.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, fast food make?
The national median annual wage for cooks, fast food was $30,890 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $22,580 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $42,910. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do cooks, fast food need?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is cooks, fast food a growing career?
BLS projects employment of cooks, fast food to change +0.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 86,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay cooks, fast food the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Hawaii ($48,120), District of Columbia ($44,670), California ($42,050). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.