Cooks, Fast Food pay in the United States
What this work is
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.
Where the money actually goes furthest
Hawaii pays the most both before and after cost of living — $48,120, worth $43,765 once local prices are counted.
Pay by state
53 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.
Adjusted for what things cost in that state.
| State | Hourly | Annual | Worth locally | After state tax | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $23.14/hr | $48,120 | $43,765 | $45,888 | Not published |
| District of Columbia | $21.48/hr | $44,670 | $40,646 | $43,065 | 2,760 |
| Vermont | $18.38/hr | $38,230 | $39,026 | $37,183 | 640 |
| California | $20.21/hr | $42,050 | $37,978 | $41,207 | 124,440 |
| Maine | $17.48/hr | $36,350 | $37,454 | $35,088 | 1,470 |
| New Hampshire | $18.55/hr | $38,590 | $37,045 | $38,590 | 1,330 |
| Oregon | $18.21/hr | $37,880 | $36,648 | $35,106 | 4,300 |
| Washington | $18.81/hr | $39,120 | $36,557 | $39,120 | 9,020 |
| Massachusetts | $18.21/hr | $37,870 | $35,807 | $35,976 | Not published |
| Colorado | $17.74/hr | $36,900 | $35,807 | $35,952 | 9,220 |
| Illinois | $16.81/hr | $34,960 | $34,973 | $33,366 | 13,430 |
| South Dakota | $14.88/hr | $30,950 | $34,936 | $30,950 | 1,720 |
| Minnesota | $16.41/hr | $34,120 | $34,597 | $33,074 | 5,190 |
| Rhode Island | $16.94/hr | $35,230 | $34,444 | $34,304 | 1,210 |
| North Dakota | $14.53/hr | $30,220 | $33,970 | $30,220 | 580 |
| Nevada | $16.27/hr | $33,840 | $33,846 | $33,840 | 5,890 |
| Nebraska | $14.63/hr | $30,430 | $33,773 | $29,695 | 2,900 |
| Connecticut | $16.82/hr | $34,980 | $33,761 | $33,655 | 3,630 |
| Alaska | $16.33/hr | $33,960 | $33,177 | $33,960 | 2,250 |
| New York | $17.20/hr | $35,770 | $33,144 | $34,407 | 11,710 |
| Missouri | $14.37/hr | $29,890 | $32,911 | $29,341 | 55,780 |
| New Mexico | $14.52/hr | $30,190 | $32,740 | $29,773 | 1,800 |
| Idaho | $14.94/hr | $31,070 | $32,537 | $30,197 | 1,610 |
| Iowa | $13.71/hr | $28,510 | $32,486 | $27,981 | 8,290 |
| Arizona | $15.70/hr | $32,660 | $32,439 | $32,208 | 11,210 |
| Utah | $15.29/hr | $31,800 | $32,166 | $30,353 | 4,400 |
| Indiana | $14.36/hr | $29,870 | $32,004 | $29,003 | 6,830 |
| Delaware | $15.31/hr | $31,840 | $31,900 | $30,639 | 850 |
| Arkansas | $13.32/hr | $27,710 | $31,872 | $26,806 | 7,860 |
| Kansas | $13.77/hr | $28,640 | $31,797 | $27,330 | 1,610 |
| Maryland | $16.02/hr | $33,320 | $31,745 | $31,918 | 10,960 |
| Oklahoma | $13.33/hr | $27,720 | $31,557 | $26,893 | 8,860 |
| Alabama | $13.40/hr | $27,870 | $31,378 | $26,666 | 26,740 |
| Wyoming | $13.92/hr | $28,950 | $31,233 | $28,950 | 890 |
| Tennessee | $13.62/hr | $28,330 | $30,837 | $28,330 | 14,020 |
| Wisconsin | $13.90/hr | $28,920 | $30,733 | $28,361 | 6,900 |
| Michigan | $14.17/hr | $29,460 | $30,617 | $28,445 | 14,340 |
| Virginia | $14.40/hr | $29,950 | $29,624 | $28,974 | 12,520 |
| New Jersey | $15.49/hr | $32,220 | $29,611 | $31,726 | 3,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.85/hr | $28,810 | $29,527 | $27,925 | 9,240 |
| South Carolina | $13.18/hr | $27,420 | $29,248 | $27,142 | 9,110 |
| Texas | $13.60/hr | $28,280 | $29,136 | $28,280 | 36,240 |
| Ohio | $12.92/hr | $26,870 | $28,964 | $26,847 | 12,310 |
| Florida | $14.37/hr | $29,900 | $28,914 | $29,900 | 22,600 |
| North Carolina | $13.07/hr | $27,190 | $28,824 | $26,576 | 81,980 |
| Louisiana | $12.00/hr | $24,960 | $28,296 | $24,586 | 3,000 |
| Montana | $12.87/hr | $26,770 | $28,283 | $26,198 | 820 |
| Georgia | $12.95/hr | $26,940 | $27,977 | $26,164 | 12,940 |
| Mississippi | $10.90/hr | $22,670 | $26,072 | $21,773 | 11,170 |
| Kentucky | $11.30/hr | $23,500 | $26,064 | $22,686 | 21,750 |
| West Virginia | $11.12/hr | $23,120 | $25,832 | $22,509 | 16,490 |
| Puerto Rico | $10.88/hr | $22,640 | Not published | Not published | 3,810 |
| Guam | $10.43/hr | $21,690 | Not published | Not published | 650 |
National median for comparison: $30,890. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.
$14.85/hr an hour, national median
Across the states
25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state
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