Cooks, Fast Food Salary
BLS May 2025 median wages — with computed take-home after taxes for all 51 reporting states. Tax year 2026.
Quick answer
According to payandtaxes.com's analysis of BLS May 2025 data, the median cooks, fast food in the US earns $30,890 per year (641,070 employed). Gross pay is highest in Hawaii ($48,120) and lowest in Mississippi ($22,670) — but what you keep depends on the state's taxes; see the table.
Cooks, Fast Food pay by stategross median vs take-home
| State | Median wage | After taxes | Monthly net | Kept | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooks, Fast Food in Hawaii | $48,120 | $38,696 | $3,225 | 80.4% | — |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Washington DC | $44,670 | $36,558 | $3,047 | 81.8% | 2,760 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in California | $42,050 | $35,296 | $2,941 | 83.9% | 124,440 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Washington | $39,120 | $33,613 | $2,801 | 85.9% | 9,020 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in New Hampshire | $38,590 | $33,187 | $2,766 | 86% | 1,330 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Vermont | $38,230 | $32,051 | $2,671 | 83.8% | 640 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Oregon | $37,880 | $30,132 | $2,511 | 79.5% | 4,300 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Massachusetts | $37,870 | $30,935 | $2,578 | 81.7% | — |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Colorado | $36,900 | $30,914 | $2,576 | 83.8% | 9,220 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Maine | $36,350 | $30,071 | $2,506 | 82.7% | 1,470 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in New York | $35,770 | $29,587 | $2,466 | 82.7% | 11,710 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Rhode Island | $35,230 | $29,783 | $2,482 | 84.5% | 1,210 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Connecticut | $34,980 | $29,637 | $2,470 | 84.7% | 3,630 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Illinois | $34,960 | $28,685 | $2,390 | 82% | 13,430 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Minnesota | $34,120 | $28,589 | $2,382 | 83.8% | 5,190 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Alaska | $33,960 | $29,467 | $2,456 | 86.8% | 2,250 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Nevada | $33,840 | $29,370 | $2,448 | 86.8% | 5,890 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Maryland | $33,320 | $27,734 | $2,311 | 83.2% | 10,960 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Arizona | $32,660 | $27,815 | $2,318 | 85.2% | 11,210 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in New Jersey | $32,220 | $27,592 | $2,299 | 85.6% | 3,440 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Delaware | $31,840 | $26,673 | $2,223 | 83.8% | 850 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Utah | $31,800 | $26,300 | $2,192 | 82.7% | 4,400 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Idaho | $31,070 | $26,606 | $2,217 | 85.6% | 1,610 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in South Dakota | $30,950 | $27,048 | $2,254 | 87.4% | 1,720 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Nebraska | $30,430 | $26,092 | $2,174 | 85.7% | 2,900 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in North Dakota | $30,220 | $26,462 | $2,205 | 87.6% | 580 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in New Mexico | $30,190 | $26,080 | $2,173 | 86.4% | 1,800 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Virginia | $29,950 | $25,337 | $2,111 | 84.6% | 12,520 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Florida | $29,900 | $26,205 | $2,184 | 87.6% | 22,600 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Missouri | $29,890 | $25,729 | $2,144 | 86.1% | 55,780 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Indiana | $29,870 | $25,329 | $2,111 | 84.8% | 6,830 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Michigan | $29,460 | $24,850 | $2,071 | 84.4% | 14,340 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Wyoming | $28,950 | $25,441 | $2,120 | 87.9% | 890 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Wisconsin | $28,920 | $24,918 | $2,077 | 86.2% | 6,900 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Pennsylvania | $28,810 | $24,444 | $2,037 | 84.8% | 9,240 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Kansas | $28,640 | $24,367 | $2,031 | 85.1% | 1,610 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Iowa | $28,510 | $24,656 | $2,055 | 86.5% | 8,290 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Tennessee | $28,330 | $24,940 | $2,078 | 88% | 14,020 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Texas | $28,280 | $24,899 | $2,075 | 88% | 36,240 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Alabama | $27,870 | $23,432 | $1,953 | 84.1% | 26,740 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Oklahoma | $27,720 | $23,736 | $1,978 | 85.6% | 8,860 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Arkansas | $27,710 | $23,561 | $1,963 | 85% | 7,860 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in South Carolina | $27,420 | $23,702 | $1,975 | 86.4% | 9,110 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in North Carolina | $27,190 | $23,425 | $1,952 | 86.2% | 81,980 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Georgia | $26,940 | $23,020 | $1,918 | 85.4% | 12,940 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Ohio | $26,870 | $23,737 | $1,978 | 88.3% | 12,310 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Montana | $26,770 | $23,154 | $1,929 | 86.5% | 820 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Louisiana | $24,960 | $21,802 | $1,817 | 87.3% | 3,000 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Kentucky | $23,500 | $20,257 | $1,688 | 86.2% | 21,750 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in West Virginia | $23,120 | $20,098 | $1,675 | 86.9% | 16,490 |
| Cooks, Fast Food in Mississippi | $22,670 | $20,104 | $1,675 | 88.7% | 11,170 |
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