Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Salinas, CA make a median of $43,260 a year, or about $20.8 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $39,674 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 89.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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 fast food and counter workers
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What this looks like in Salinas
Salinas sits well above the national pay line for fast food and counter workers, local pay runs about 39% 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 $2,684/month, which is 89.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fast food and counter workers in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $42K | $37K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $42K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $44K | $38K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $42K | $38K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level fast food and counter workers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Fast Food and Counter Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $42K | +36% | 449,840 |
| Washington | $38K | +21% | 94,710 |
| District of Columbia | $37K | +20% | 5,500 |
| Colorado | $36K | +16% | 82,010 |
| Vermont | $36K | +15% | 6,830 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +15% | 85,810 |
| Connecticut | $35K | +13% | 35,720 |
| New York | $35K | +13% | 168,620 |
| Hawaii | $35K | +13% | 24,130 |
| Oregon | $35K | +12% | 59,920 |
| Maine | $35K | +11% | 17,250 |
| Arizona | $34K | +10% | 77,210 |
| New Jersey | $34K | +9% | 93,730 |
| Illinois | $34K | +9% | 127,590 |
| Maryland | $34K | +8% | 49,380 |
| Alaska | $33K | +7% | 5,900 |
| Nevada | $32K | +2% | 45,850 |
| New Hampshire | $32K | +1% | 14,540 |
| Rhode Island | $31K | +1% | 13,310 |
| Minnesota | $31K | +1% | 58,970 |
| Delaware | $31K | +0% | 13,310 |
| Missouri | $30K | -3% | 29,360 |
| Virginia | $30K | -3% | 104,460 |
| North Dakota | $30K | -4% | 11,470 |
| South Dakota | $29K | -5% | 15,150 |
| Montana | $29K | -7% | 14,960 |
| Florida | $29K | -7% | 235,400 |
| Nebraska | $29K | -7% | 30,060 |
| Idaho | $29K | -7% | 25,810 |
| Michigan | $29K | -7% | 103,130 |
| Indiana | $29K | -8% | 97,290 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -8% | 28,250 |
| Utah | $29K | -8% | 52,340 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -8% | 67,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -8% | 142,220 |
| North Carolina | $29K | -8% | 92,230 |
| Ohio | $28K | -9% | 163,560 |
| Iowa | $28K | -9% | 40,290 |
| Wyoming | $28K | -11% | 7,060 |
| Texas | $28K | -11% | 460,530 |
| Kansas | $28K | -12% | 47,140 |
| South Carolina | $28K | -12% | 65,070 |
| Tennessee | $27K | -12% | 90,690 |
| Kentucky | $27K | -13% | 41,860 |
| Georgia | $27K | -14% | 145,030 |
| Arkansas | $26K | -16% | 35,660 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -16% | 6,240 |
| Alabama | $24K | -24% | 41,460 |
| Oklahoma | $23K | -25% | 52,520 |
| Louisiana | $23K | -27% | 45,720 |
| Mississippi | $23K | -28% | 31,220 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fast food and counter worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 89.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fast food and counter workers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,117/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 127% 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 Salinas?
Local pay is 39% above the national median — $43K here vs. $31K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for fast food and counter workers?
Salinas pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do fast food and counter workers make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $43,260 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,290, and experienced fast food and counter workers can clear $46,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,991/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 89.7% 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 Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (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 fast food and counter workers salary is worth about $39,674 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.