Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in California
The median annual wage for fast food and counter workers in California is $42,280 ($20.33 per hour) — +35.5% vs. the national median of $31,200. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $42,280
- Mean annual wage
- $41,680
- Median hourly wage
- $20.33
- Employment in CA
- 449,840
449,840 employed · 24.7 per 1,000 jobs
Wage percentiles in California
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,530 | $17.08 |
| 25th percentile | $36,790 | $17.69 |
| Median (50th) | $42,280 | $20.33 |
| 75th percentile | $44,970 | $21.62 |
| 90th percentile | $47,950 | $23.05 |
What this salary is worth in California
- Cost-of-living adjusted salary
- $38,186
- Median rent burden
- 57.8%
- Est. affordable home price
- $154,235
California prices are 110.7 vs. U.S. average = 100 (BEA RPP, 2024)
Median gross rent in California: $2,036/mo (ACS 2020-2024). 30% of income = $1,057/mo
At 6.67% 30-yr rate (FRED, 2026-08), 20% down, 28% front-end DTI, 1.5%/yr taxes+insurance
For context, the median home value in California is $734,700 (ACS 2020-2024).
Estimates from documented formulas — see methodology. Not financial advice.
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Other salaries in California
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Regional Price Parities — data period 2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates — data period 2020-2024, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Federal Reserve Economic Data — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.