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Salary comparison

Cooks, Restaurant vs. Fast Food and Counter Workers: Who Earns More?

Cooks, Restaurant out-earn Fast Food and Counter Workers by $6K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Cooks, Restaurant land at $37,390 and Fast Food and Counter Workers at $31,200. The education gap is real: cooks, restaurant programs typically require no formal educational credential, while fast food and counter worker programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Cooks, Restaurant is Washington ($46,800); for Fast Food and Counter Workers it's California ($42,280).

Cooks, Restaurant
Fast Food and Counter Workers
Median salary
$37,390
$31,200
Hourly rate
$17.98/hr
$15/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$28,700
$22,840
Senior level (90th %)
$47,900
$42,650
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
1,409,890
3,854,050
Job growth (10-year)
14.9%
6.1%
Category
Food Service
Food Service
Top-paying state
Washington
California

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Cooks, Restaurant median pay.

State
Cooks, Restaurant
Fast Food and Counter Workers
Washington
$46,800
$37,710
District of Columbia
$46,130
$37,430
Massachusetts
$45,600
$35,850
Hawaii
$45,420
$35,250
Vermont
$45,390
$36,030
Maine
$45,290
$34,710
California
$44,880
$42,280
New York
$43,680
$35,250
Oregon
$43,100
$35,050
Colorado
$41,600
$36,270
Connecticut
$39,480
$35,380
Arizona
$38,670
$34,230
New Jersey
$38,460
$34,150
Maryland
$37,820
$33,660
Illinois
$37,580
$33,910

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Cooks, Restaurant or Fast Food and Counter Workers?

Cooks, Restaurant earn more nationally. The median is $37,390 for Cooks, Restaurant versus $31,200 for Fast Food and Counter Workers, a difference of $6K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Cooks, Restaurant or Fast Food and Counter Workers?

Cooks, Restaurant has the better 10-year outlook at 14.9% projected growth, compared to 6.1% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Cooks, Restaurant or Fast Food and Counter Workers?

Cooks, Restaurant typically requires no formal educational credential. Fast Food and Counter Workers requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Cooks, Restaurant get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Cooks, Restaurant at $46,800/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Cooks, Restaurant vs. Fast Food and Counter Workers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Cooks, Restaurant earn $46,800 vs. $37,710 for Fast Food and Counter Workers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Cooks, Restaurant salary breakdownView →Full Fast Food and Counter Workers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Cooks, Restaurant by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Fast Food and Counter Workers by take-home payExplore →How to become a cooks, restaurantGuide →How to become a fast food and counter workersGuide →