Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations · 641K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$30,890
Median hourly
$15
Average annual
$32,390
Typical range
$22,580–$42,910
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Cooks, Fast Food is $30,890 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $15 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $22,580 and $42,910 a year. There are roughly 641K people employed as cooks, fast food in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Cooks, Fast Food.
- Hourly
- $14.85
- Daily
- $119
- Weekly
- $594
- Bi-weekly
- $1,188
- Monthly
- $2,574
- Annual
- $30,890
$30,890 a year is around the 50th percentile for Cooks, Fast Foods. The median is $30,890.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Hawaii$48,120
- 2District of Columbia$44,670
- 3California$42,050
- 4Washington$39,120
- 5New Hampshire$38,590
- 6Vermont$38,230
- 7Oregon$37,880
- 8Massachusetts$37,870
- 9Colorado$36,900
- 10Maine$36,350
- 11New York$35,770
- 12Rhode Island$35,230
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$47,220
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$46,670
- 3Napa, CA$45,300
- 4Vallejo, CA$44,450
- 5Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$44,030
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$43,840
- 7Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$43,630
- 8Salinas, CA$43,120
- 9Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$42,700
- 10Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$42,530
- 11Modesto, CA$42,510
- 12Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$42,480
Related job titles
Employers advertise Cooks, Fast Food roles under these titles.
Related occupations
What a Cooks, Fast Food does
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
- Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold.
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Cooks, Fast Food make?
- The median annual wage for Cooks, Fast Food is $30,890 ($15 per hour). Pay ranges from about $22,580 at the 10th percentile to $42,910 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Cooks, Fast Food?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $32,390, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Cooks, Fast Foods the most?
- Hawaii has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $48,120.
- Is Cooks, Fast Food a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 641K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Cooks, Fast Food do?
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.; Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.; Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking..