Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT make a median of $34,880 a year, or about $16.77 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.75), that's roughly $33,946 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,865/month, about 77.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford’s Regional Price Parity (102.75). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cooks, fast foods
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What this looks like in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford sits well above the national pay line for cooks, fast food, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,865/month, which is 78.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 102.75) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooks, fast foods in metros near Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $36K | $34K |
| New Haven | $35K | $33K |
| Waterbury-Shelton | $34K | $34K |
| Barnstable Town | $39K | $40K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooks, Fast Food salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $48K | +56% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $45K | +45% | 2,760 |
| California | $42K | +36% | 124,440 |
| Washington | $39K | +27% | 9,020 |
| New Hampshire | $39K | +25% | 1,330 |
| Vermont | $38K | +24% | 640 |
| Oregon | $38K | +23% | 4,300 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +23% | N/A |
| Colorado | $37K | +19% | 9,220 |
| Maine | $36K | +18% | 1,470 |
| New York | $36K | +16% | 11,710 |
| Rhode Island | $35K | +14% | 1,210 |
| Connecticut | $35K | +13% | 3,630 |
| Illinois | $35K | +13% | 13,430 |
| Minnesota | $34K | +10% | 5,190 |
| Alaska | $34K | +10% | 2,250 |
| Nevada | $34K | +10% | 5,890 |
| Maryland | $33K | +8% | 10,960 |
| Arizona | $33K | +6% | 11,210 |
| New Jersey | $32K | +4% | 3,440 |
| Delaware | $32K | +3% | 850 |
| Utah | $32K | +3% | 4,400 |
| Idaho | $31K | +1% | 1,610 |
| South Dakota | $31K | +0% | 1,720 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -1% | 2,900 |
| North Dakota | $30K | -2% | 580 |
| New Mexico | $30K | -2% | 1,800 |
| Virginia | $30K | -3% | 12,520 |
| Florida | $30K | -3% | 22,600 |
| Missouri | $30K | -3% | 55,780 |
| Indiana | $30K | -3% | 6,830 |
| Michigan | $29K | -5% | 14,340 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -6% | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -6% | 6,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -7% | 9,240 |
| Kansas | $29K | -7% | 1,610 |
| Iowa | $29K | -8% | 8,290 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -8% | 14,020 |
| Texas | $28K | -8% | 36,240 |
| Alabama | $28K | -10% | 26,740 |
| Oklahoma | $28K | -10% | 8,860 |
| Arkansas | $28K | -10% | 7,860 |
| South Carolina | $27K | -11% | 9,110 |
| North Carolina | $27K | -12% | 81,980 |
| Georgia | $27K | -13% | 12,940 |
| Ohio | $27K | -13% | 12,310 |
| Montana | $27K | -13% | 820 |
| Louisiana | $25K | -19% | 3,000 |
| Kentucky | $24K | -24% | 21,750 |
| West Virginia | $23K | -25% | 16,490 |
| Mississippi | $23K | -27% | 11,170 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, fast food afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 78.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,865/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, fast foods in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,041/month. At HUD’s $1,865/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, fast food a high-paying job in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $35K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.75), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT?
The median is $34,880 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,010, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $41,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,377/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,865/month, which eats 78.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooks, fast food salary go in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford?
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford has a Regional Price Parity of 102.75 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, fast food salary is worth about $33,946 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, fast foods get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.