Cooks, Fast Food Salary
Cooks, Fast Foods in Montana make a median of $26,770 a year, or about $12.87 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $27,598 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 59.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $27K get you in Montana?
About cooks, fast foods
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for cooks, fast food in Montana runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 59% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooks, fast foods.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level cooks, fast foods (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Fast Food salary by metro in Montana
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula | $39K | +46% | 130 |
| Bozeman | $29K | +8% | 120 |
Compare to other states
Track cooks, fast food salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, fast food afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 59% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, fast foods typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,325/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 85% 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 Montana?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for cooks, fast foods?
Montana pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $28K — below the national median.
How much do cooks, fast foods make in Montana?
The median is $26,770 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,090, and experienced cooks, fast foods can clear $47,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,914/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 59% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $27,598 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.