Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Traverse City, MI make a median of $28,560 a year, or about $13.73 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.37), which stretches that salary to about $30,588 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,224/month, about 60.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Traverse City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Traverse City’s Regional Price Parity (93.37). 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 Traverse City
Fast food and counter workers pay in Traverse City tracks closely to the national median, $29K locally vs. $31K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,224/month, which is 61.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fast food and counter workers in metros near Traverse City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $30K | $30K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $28K | $30K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $29K | $30K |
| Ann Arbor | $33K | $33K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Traverse City, MI
Entry-level fast food and counter workers (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.
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)
Track fast food and counter workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a fast food and counter worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Traverse City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 61.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,224/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 Traverse City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fast food and counter workers typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,558/month. At HUD’s $1,224/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Traverse City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $29K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Traverse City compare to the national average for fast food and counter workers?
Traverse City pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do fast food and counter workers make in Traverse City, MI?
The median is $28,560 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,960, and experienced fast food and counter workers can clear $36,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Traverse City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,981/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,224/month, which eats 61.8% 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 Traverse City?
Traverse City has a Regional Price Parity of 93.37 (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 $30,588 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.