Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Wilmington, NC make a median of $27,460 a year, or about $13.2 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $28,480 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,426/month, about 72.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Pay for fast food and counter workers in Wilmington runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $31K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,426/month, which is 74.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) 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 fast food and counter workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for fast food and counter workers in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $29K | $30K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $29K | $30K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $28K | $30K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $29K | $30K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level fast food and counter workers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $16K 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 Wilmington?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 74.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/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 Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new fast food and counter workers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,292/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 110% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $27K here vs. $31K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for fast food and counter workers?
Wilmington pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $28K — below the national median.
How much do fast food and counter workers make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $27,460 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,530, and experienced fast food and counter workers can clear $37,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,906/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 74.8% 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 Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $28,480 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.