Jetted FoxCareers · Restaurants & bars
Fast food and counter workers
Take orders, make food and serve customers at a fast food or counter restaurant. No college degree needed.
Start now · nothing needed
Starting pay ranges from about $10.26/hr in Mississippi to $17.95/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $10.14–10.60/hr | $11.40/hr |
| Alaska | $11.94–13.79/hr | $16/hr |
| Arizona | $14.79–15.08/hr | $16.46/hr |
| Arkansas | $11.17–11.33/hr | $12.62/hr |
| California | $17.08–17.69/hr | $20.33/hr |
| Colorado | $14.92–16.30/hr | $17.44/hr |
| Connecticut | $16.35–16.58/hr | $17.01/hr |
| Delaware | $15/hr | $15.05/hr |
| Florida | $13.25–13.47/hr | $13.98/hr |
| Georgia | $10.05–10.81/hr | $12.94/hr |
| Hawaii | $14–14.64/hr | $16.95/hr |
| Idaho | $9.68–10.94/hr | $13.91/hr |
| Illinois | $15/hr | $16.30/hr |
| Indiana | $10.63–11.84/hr | $13.84/hr |
| Iowa | $10.39–12.57/hr | $13.65/hr |
| Kansas | $10.40–11.05/hr | $13.26/hr |
| Kentucky | $10.38–10.96/hr | $13.04/hr |
| Louisiana | $8.95–10.47/hr | $10.96/hr |
| Maine | $14.78–15.38/hr | $16.69/hr |
| Maryland | $15–15.04/hr | $16.18/hr |
| Massachusetts | $15.04–16.23/hr | $17.24/hr |
| Michigan | $12.48–13.26/hr | $13.91/hr |
| Minnesota | $13.55–14.05/hr | $15.08/hr |
| Mississippi | $8.91–10.26/hr | $10.87/hr |
| Missouri | $13.75–13.89/hr | $14.61/hr |
| Montana | $10.94–12.70/hr | $13.98/hr |
| Nebraska | $13.50–13.56/hr | $13.94/hr |
| Nevada | $12.80–13.48/hr | $15.36/hr |
| New Hampshire | $10.86–13.93/hr | $15.19/hr |
| New Jersey | $15.49/hr | $16.42/hr |
| New Mexico | $12.82–13.50/hr | $13.80/hr |
| New York | $15.50–16.51/hr | $16.95/hr |
| North Carolina | $10.48–11.24/hr | $13.74/hr |
| North Dakota | $10.94–13.80/hr | $14.46/hr |
| Ohio | $11.16–12.89/hr | $13.67/hr |
| Oklahoma | $9.86–10.54/hr | $11.27/hr |
| Oregon | $14.88–16.13/hr | $16.85/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $10.59–11.75/hr | $13.74/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15/hr | $15.14/hr |
| South Carolina | $10.74–11.21/hr | $13.23/hr |
| South Dakota | $13.41–13.78/hr | $14.18/hr |
| Tennessee | $10.51–11.30/hr | $13.21/hr |
| Texas | $10.44–11.05/hr | $13.34/hr |
| Utah | $10.57–12.67/hr | $13.78/hr |
| Vermont | $14.64–16.51/hr | $17.32/hr |
| Virginia | $13.04–13.57/hr | $14.48/hr |
| Washington | $16.85–17.25/hr | $18.13/hr |
| Washington, DC | $17.91–17.95/hr | $18/hr |
| West Virginia | $9.02–10.66/hr | $12.54/hr |
| Wisconsin | $10.69–12.36/hr | $13.75/hr |
| Wyoming | $9.76–10.53/hr | $13.40/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 at a counter or drive-thru, taking orders, running the register and making food. Rushes at lunch and dinner are fast and loud. You clean between rushes.
The good parts
Hired quickly, often at 15 or 16 with no experience. Shifts fit around school. Shift lead and manager jobs open up fast for reliable workers.
The hard parts
Pay is near minimum wage in many areas. Rushes are loud and fast, and some customers are rude. Nights, weekends and closing shifts are common.
Where it leads
Shift lead or kitchen supervisor (after 6–12 months). Restaurant manager (after 2–5 years, through shift lead). shift lead and store manager are the next steps.
Quick answers
Do fast food and counter workers need a college degree?
No. You can start now: nothing needed.
How long is the training for fast food and counter workers?
1–2 weeks of paid training at work.
How much do fast food and counter workers make?
About $10.98–13.32 an hour to start and $15 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.
Similar careers
Bartenders · Waiters and waitresses · Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers
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.