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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

35-3023 Fast Food and Counter Workers

Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages. Counter attendants who also wait tables are included in "Waiters and Waitresses" (35-3031),


National estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Industry profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Geographic profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers

National estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
3,450,120 0.7 % $ 11.80 $ 24,540 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 8.63 $ 9.52 $ 11.47 $ 13.42 $ 15.37
Annual Wage (2) $ 17,940 $ 19,800 $ 23,860 $ 27,920 $ 31,960


Industry profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Fast Food and Counter Workers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,763,680 30.63 $ 11.52 $ 23,960
Special Food Services 146,450 26.24 $ 12.50 $ 25,990
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 130,760 4.50 $ 13.26 $ 27,580
Elementary and Secondary Schools 126,670 1.54 $ 12.82 $ 26,670
Gasoline Stations 39,140 4.26 $ 11.47 $ 23,850

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Restaurants and Other Eating Places 2,763,680 30.63 $ 11.52 $ 23,960
Special Food Services 146,450 26.24 $ 12.50 $ 25,990
Amusement Parks and Arcades 11,980 9.57 $ 12.53 $ 26,060
Book Stores and News Dealers 3,560 6.38 $ 12.08 $ 25,120
Motion Picture and Video Industries 17,300 5.25 $ 11.99 $ 24,950

Top paying industries for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation (8) (8) $ 21.73 $ 45,200
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 7,530 0.36 $ 17.50 $ 36,410
Warehousing and Storage 30 (7) $ 16.80 $ 34,940
Rail Transportation 1,140 0.53 $ 16.11 $ 33,520
Individual and Family Services 3,560 0.14 $ 15.26 $ 31,740


Geographic profile for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Fast Food and Counter Workers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 384,890 23.43 0.94 $ 14.73 $ 30,640
Texas 380,090 31.41 1.27 $ 10.53 $ 21,900
Florida 206,520 24.46 0.99 $ 10.78 $ 22,420
New York 173,030 19.91 0.80 $ 14.16 $ 29,450
Ohio 151,650 29.52 1.19 $ 10.65 $ 22,160




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Virginia 20,830 32.05 1.29 $ 10.29 $ 21,400
Oregon 56,820 31.44 1.27 $ 13.43 $ 27,940
Texas 380,090 31.41 1.27 $ 10.53 $ 21,900
South Carolina 63,260 31.39 1.27 $ 9.76 $ 20,290
Arkansas 36,650 31.11 1.25 $ 10.68 $ 22,210




Top paying states for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 6,980 10.16 0.41 $ 16.56 $ 34,450
Washington 94,080 29.45 1.19 $ 15.35 $ 31,940
California 384,890 23.43 0.94 $ 14.73 $ 30,640
Massachusetts 73,400 21.91 0.88 $ 14.27 $ 29,680
New York 173,030 19.91 0.80 $ 14.16 $ 29,450





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 145,240 16.44 0.66 $ 14.03 $ 29,190
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 135,180 23.22 0.94 $ 14.39 $ 29,920
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 100,660 23.08 0.93 $ 11.94 $ 24,840
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 100,170 27.92 1.13 $ 10.98 $ 22,840
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 84,410 28.43 1.15 $ 10.42 $ 21,680
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 61,870 22.94 0.93 $ 11.82 $ 24,580
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 60,600 23.02 0.93 $ 9.99 $ 20,780
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 57,100 18.89 0.76 $ 13.58 $ 28,250
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 54,190 21.61 0.87 $ 10.90 $ 22,670
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 53,300 20.49 0.83 $ 14.13 $ 29,400




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hinesville, GA 980 55.79 2.25 $ 9.32 $ 19,390
Jacksonville, NC 2,410 52.84 2.13 $ 9.81 $ 20,410
Sherman-Denison, TX 2,200 48.29 1.95 $ 10.00 $ 20,810
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 6,380 47.32 1.91 $ 9.47 $ 19,700
Muskegon, MI 2,570 47.15 1.90 $ 11.75 $ 24,450
Grants Pass, OR 1,210 46.34 1.87 $ 12.11 $ 25,180
Lubbock, TX 6,450 45.89 1.85 $ 9.76 $ 20,310
Bellingham, WA 3,620 44.84 1.81 $ 14.57 $ 30,300
Muncie, IN 1,930 44.26 1.78 $ 10.45 $ 21,740
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA 8,500 44.00 1.77 $ 9.88 $ 20,550




Top paying metropolitan areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 19,380 17.57 0.71 $ 16.36 $ 34,020
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 42,560 18.26 0.74 $ 16.35 $ 34,000
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 48,770 24.93 1.01 $ 16.04 $ 33,370
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 1,320 30.97 1.25 $ 15.17 $ 31,560
Napa, CA 1,370 19.80 0.80 $ 15.06 $ 31,320
Walla Walla, WA 660 26.39 1.06 $ 15.00 $ 31,200
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 1,720 37.31 1.50 $ 14.95 $ 31,100
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 5,260 28.82 1.16 $ 14.94 $ 31,080
Burlington-South Burlington, VT 1,550 13.63 0.55 $ 14.90 $ 30,990
Barnstable Town, MA 2,170 23.42 0.94 $ 14.86 $ 30,920

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 10,350 38.47 1.55 $ 9.39 $ 19,530
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 9,910 26.20 1.06 $ 9.32 $ 19,390
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) 9,350 29.99 1.21 $ 10.44 $ 21,720
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 7,040 28.62 1.15 $ 11.70 $ 24,340
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 6,840 28.65 1.16 $ 10.02 $ 20,850

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 6,410 42.80 1.73 $ 10.30 $ 21,420
Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area 4,490 42.51 1.71 $ 13.44 $ 27,950
Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 6,140 42.48 1.71 $ 9.37 $ 19,500
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 5,150 40.56 1.64 $ 10.02 $ 20,840
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 4,770 40.52 1.63 $ 14.86 $ 30,910

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 2,040 21.08 0.85 $ 15.68 $ 32,610
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 1,550 28.18 1.14 $ 15.34 $ 31,900
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 2,320 30.76 1.24 $ 15.28 $ 31,790
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 4,770 40.52 1.63 $ 14.86 $ 30,910
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 2,480 21.64 0.87 $ 14.53 $ 30,220


About May 2020 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021