Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in Michigan make a median of $29,460 a year, or about $14.17 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $31,377 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 61.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $29K get you in Michigan?
About cooks, fast foods
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Michigan
Cooks, fast food pay in Michigan tracks closely to the national median, $29K locally vs. $31K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 62.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food salary by metro in Michigan
12 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $30K | +1% | 5,930 |
| Ann Arbor | $30K | +1% | 420 |
| Jackson | $29K | +0% | 330 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $29K | -1% | 440 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $29K | -2% | 1,740 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $29K | -2% | 570 |
| Traverse City | $29K | -2% | 300 |
| Flint | $29K | -3% | 560 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $28K | -4% | 730 |
| Niles | $28K | -4% | 320 |
| Monroe | $27K | -8% | 240 |
| Midland | $27K | -8% | 150 |
Showing 1–10 of 12 metros
Compare to other states
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Michigan numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, fast food afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 62.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/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 Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,558/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 Michigan?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $29K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
Michigan pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Michigan?
The median is $29,460 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,960, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $37,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,038/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 62.4% 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 Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, fast food salary is worth about $31,377 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.