How much does a fast food and counter worker make?

The median pay is $15.00 per hour — roughly $31,000 a year, with the real range running from about $10.98/hr (10th percentile) to $20.51/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a fast food and counter worker?

The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

What does a fast food and counter worker actually do all day?

Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment. Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.

Culinary & Hospitality

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.

What it pays
Fast Food and Counter Workers earn a median of $15.00/hr — about $31,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $10.98/hr; the top 10% earn $20.51/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment.
Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).

Working for yourself

About 0.1% of fast food and counter workers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a fast food and counter worker make?: The median pay is $15.00 per hour — roughly $31,000 a year, with the real range running from about $10.98/hr (10th percentile) to $20.51/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a fast food and counter worker?: The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: little or no preparation (Job Zone 1 of 5).
What does a fast food and counter worker actually do all day?: Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints. Scrub and polish counters, steam tables, and other equipment, and clean glasses, dishes, and fountain equipment. Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.