Jetted FoxCareers · Kitchens & cooking
Cooks, fast food
Cooks burgers, fries, chicken and other menu items fast at a chain restaurant. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $7.76/hr in Iowa to $18.66/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.89–11.34/hr | $13.40/hr |
| Alaska | $14.50–14.96/hr | $16.33/hr |
| Arizona | $14.70–14.89/hr | $15.70/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.43–11.83/hr | $13.32/hr |
| California | $17.19–17.92/hr | $20.21/hr |
| Colorado | $15.37–16.73/hr | $17.74/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35/hr | $16.82/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $15.31/hr |
| Florida | $13.20–13.56/hr | $14.37/hr |
| Georgia | $10–10.52/hr | $12.95/hr |
| Hawaii | $14/hr | $23.14/hr |
| Idaho | $8.95–11.44/hr | $14.94/hr |
| Illinois | $15–15.11/hr | $16.81/hr |
| Indiana | $11.56–13.67/hr | $14.36/hr |
| Iowa | $7.25–7.76/hr | $13.71/hr |
| Kansas | $10.81–11.79/hr | $13.77/hr |
| Kentucky | $10.20–10.59/hr | $11.30/hr |
| Louisiana | $10.04–10.58/hr | $12/hr |
| Maine | $15.07–16.23/hr | $17.48/hr |
| Maryland | $15–15.08/hr | $16.02/hr |
| Massachusetts | $17.11–17.50/hr | $18.21/hr |
| Michigan | $12.48–13.12/hr | $14.17/hr |
| Minnesota | $11.81–14.37/hr | $16.41/hr |
| Mississippi | $8.91–10.26/hr | $10.90/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75–13.84/hr | $14.37/hr |
| Montana | $10.62–11.50/hr | $12.87/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.50–13.86/hr | $14.63/hr |
| Nevada | $12.76–13.34/hr | $16.27/hr |
| New Hampshire | $17.17–18.03/hr | $18.55/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49/hr | $15.49/hr |
| New Mexico | $13.40–13.82/hr | $14.52/hr |
| New York | $15.75–16.03/hr | $17.20/hr |
| North Carolina | $10.52–10.93/hr | $13.07/hr |
| North Dakota | $11.09–14.10/hr | $14.53/hr |
| Ohio | $10.82–11.09/hr | $12.92/hr |
| Oklahoma | $10.74–12.15/hr | $13.33/hr |
| Oregon | $15.20–16.83/hr | $18.21/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $10.87–12.08/hr | $13.85/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15/hr | $16.94/hr |
| South Carolina | $10.43–10.98/hr | $13.18/hr |
| South Dakota | $12.21–14.10/hr | $14.88/hr |
| Tennessee | $9.80–11.80/hr | $13.62/hr |
| Texas | $10–11.10/hr | $13.60/hr |
| Utah | $13.35–14.05/hr | $15.29/hr |
| Vermont | $15.17–17.40/hr | $18.38/hr |
| Virginia | $13.18–13.62/hr | $14.40/hr |
| Washington | $16.99–17.50/hr | $18.81/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.54–18.66/hr | $21.48/hr |
| West Virginia | $10.39–10.72/hr | $11.12/hr |
| Wisconsin | $10.84–13.33/hr | $13.90/hr |
| Wyoming | $10.21–10.55/hr | $13.92/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Once you're hired
A normal day
You work a station like the grill, fryer or sandwich line, making orders as tickets pop up on a screen. Lunch and dinner rushes are nonstop, and quiet times go to restocking, cleaning and prep. You work with a shift lead and a small crew, mostly people your age.
The good parts
Almost anywhere hires, often at 16, with no experience. You learn the job in days, not months. Shift lead and assistant manager spots open up fast for reliable people.
The hard parts
Pay starts near minimum wage and raises are small. Nights, weekends and holidays are normal, and schedules change week to week. Hot oil and grills mean small burns, and the work is repetitive.
Where it leads
the cook job itself tops out quickly, but chains promote reliable crew to shift lead, assistant manager and store manager within a few years.
Quick answers
Do cooks, fast food need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for cooks, fast food?
1–2 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do cooks, fast food make?
About $10.86–13.11 an hour to start and $14.85 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
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Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.