Cooks, Fast Food Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for cooks, fast food is $30,890, or $14.85 per hour. About 641,070 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $48,120 in Hawaii to $22,670 in Mississippi.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $48,120 | $23.14 | — | — |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $44,670 | $21.48 | 2,760 | 0.96 |
| 3 | California | $42,050 | $20.21 | 124,440 | 1.66 |
| 4 | Washington | $39,120 | $18.81 | 9,020 | 0.62 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $38,590 | $18.55 | 1,330 | 0.47 |
| 6 | Vermont | $38,230 | $18.38 | 640 | 0.51 |
| 7 | Oregon | $37,880 | $18.21 | 4,300 | 0.53 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $37,870 | $18.21 | — | — |
| 9 | Colorado | $36,900 | $17.74 | 9,220 | 0.78 |
| 10 | Maine | $36,350 | $17.48 | 1,470 | 0.56 |
| 11 | New York | $35,770 | $17.20 | 11,710 | 0.29 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $35,230 | $16.94 | 1,210 | 0.59 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $34,980 | $16.82 | 3,630 | 0.52 |
| 14 | Illinois | $34,960 | $16.81 | 13,430 | 0.53 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $34,120 | $16.41 | 5,190 | 0.43 |
| 16 | Alaska | $33,960 | $16.33 | 2,250 | 1.68 |
| 17 | Nevada | $33,840 | $16.27 | 5,890 | 0.92 |
| 18 | Maryland | $33,320 | $16.02 | 10,960 | 0.96 |
| 19 | Arizona | $32,660 | $15.70 | 11,210 | 0.84 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $32,220 | $15.49 | 3,440 | 0.19 |
| 21 | Delaware | $31,840 | $15.31 | 850 | 0.43 |
| 22 | Utah | $31,800 | $15.29 | 4,400 | 0.61 |
| 23 | Idaho | $31,070 | $14.94 | 1,610 | 0.45 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $30,950 | $14.88 | 1,720 | 0.91 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $30,430 | $14.63 | 2,900 | 0.69 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $30,220 | $14.53 | 580 | 0.32 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $30,190 | $14.52 | 1,800 | 0.50 |
| 28 | Virginia | $29,950 | $14.40 | 12,520 | 0.74 |
| 29 | Florida | $29,900 | $14.37 | 22,600 | 0.55 |
| 30 | Missouri | $29,890 | $14.37 | 55,780 | 4.61 |
| 31 | Indiana | $29,870 | $14.36 | 6,830 | 0.52 |
| 32 | Michigan | $29,460 | $14.17 | 14,340 | 0.79 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $28,950 | $13.92 | 890 | 0.77 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $28,920 | $13.90 | 6,900 | 0.57 |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | $28,810 | $13.85 | 9,240 | 0.37 |
| 36 | Kansas | $28,640 | $13.77 | 1,610 | 0.27 |
| 37 | Iowa | $28,510 | $13.71 | 8,290 | 1.29 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $28,330 | $13.62 | 14,020 | 1.04 |
| 39 | Texas | $28,280 | $13.60 | 36,240 | 0.62 |
| 40 | Alabama | $27,870 | $13.40 | 26,740 | 3.07 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $27,720 | $13.33 | 8,860 | 1.26 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $27,710 | $13.32 | 7,860 | 1.46 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $27,420 | $13.18 | 9,110 | 0.96 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $27,190 | $13.07 | 81,980 | 4.02 |
| 45 | Georgia | $26,940 | $12.95 | 12,940 | 0.64 |
| 46 | Ohio | $26,870 | $12.92 | 12,310 | 0.54 |
| 47 | Montana | $26,770 | $12.87 | 820 | 0.39 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $24,960 | $12.00 | 3,000 | 0.38 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $23,500 | $11.30 | 21,750 | 2.64 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $23,120 | $11.12 | 16,490 | 5.70 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $22,670 | $10.90 | 11,170 | 2.33 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do cooks, fast food make?
The median annual wage for cooks, fast food in the United States is $30,890, or $14.85 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $22,580, and the top 10% earn $42,910.
How many cooks, fast food are employed in the U.S.?
About 641,070 people work as cooks, fast food nationwide.
Which state pays cooks, fast food the most?
Hawaii pays the most at a median of $48,120, followed by District of Columbia ($44,670) and California ($42,050).
Which state pays cooks, fast food the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median at $22,670.
Where are cooks, fast food jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is West Virginia at 5.70×.