Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Kentucky make a median of $27,130 a year, or about $13.04 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $34K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $30,068 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 57.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kentucky. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $27K get you in Kentucky?
About fast food and counter workers
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What this looks like in Kentucky
Pay for fast food and counter workers in Kentucky 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 $1,110/month, which is 58.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for fast food and counter workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level fast food and counter workers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $34K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by metro in Kentucky
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $29K | +6% | 15,540 |
| Lexington-Fayette | $28K | +3% | 5,500 |
| Bowling Green | $28K | +2% | 2,540 |
| Paducah | $28K | +2% | 1,160 |
| Elizabethtown | $27K | +0% | 1,330 |
| Owensboro | $27K | -1% | 1,080 |
Compare to other states
Track fast food and counter workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fast food and counter worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 58.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/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 fast food and counter workers in Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fast food and counter workers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,295/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 86% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is fast food and counter worker a high-paying job in Kentucky?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for fast food and counter workers?
Kentucky pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $30K — below the national median.
How much do fast food and counter workers make in Kentucky?
The median is $27,130 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,590, and experienced fast food and counter workers can clear $34,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,896/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 58.5% 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 fast food and counter workers salary go in Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (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 fast food and counter workers salary is worth about $30,068 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do fast food and counter workers 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.