Cooks, Fast Food Salary in the US
A cooks, fast food earns a national median of $30,890 a year (mean $32,390) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #825 of 825.
How much does a cooks, fast food earn in the US?
A cooks, fast food in the United States earns a median of $30,890 a year (mean $32,390), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 39% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 641,070 people work in this occupation (SOC 35-2011), ranked #825 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$30,890
per year
Mean
$32,390
per year
Employment
641,070
US workers
National rank
#825
of 825 by median
What a cooks, fast food earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a cooks, fast food (SOC 35-2011) earns a median annual wage of $30,890 and a mean (average) of $32,390. The median is the midpoint — half of cooks, fast food earn more and half earn less — and is 39% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a cooks, fast food in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for cooks, fast food is $30,890, and the mean (average) is $32,390. The median is the midpoint — half of cooks, fast food earn more and half earn less.
- How does cooks, fast food pay compare to the US average?
- At $30,890, a cooks, fast food earns 39% below the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many cooks, fast food are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 641,070 cooks, fast food employed nationally (SOC 35-2011), across all industries.
- Where does this cooks, fast food salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 35-2011. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Cashiers$32,880
- Entertainment Attendants and Related Workers, All Other$32,640
- Shampooers$32,600
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants$32,150
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$31,200
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$31,200
- Actors—
- Dancers—
- Disc Jockeys, Except Radio—
- Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other—
- Musicians and Singers—
Find cooks, fast food jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which cooks, fast food roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 35-2011 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries