What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Fast Food Cook?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Fast Food Cook jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Nome, AK (24.0% above average), followed by Sitka, AK and San Ysidro, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Nome, AK $38,471 $3,205 $739 $18.50 Sitka, AK $37,361 $3,113 $718 $17.96 San Ysidro, CA $36,716 $3,059 $706 $17.65 East Palo Alto, CA $36,543 $3,045 $702 $17.57 San Francisco, CA $36,539 $3,044 $702 $17.57 Santa Clara, CA $36,423 $3,035 $700 $17.51 San Jose, CA $36,347 $3,028 $698 $17.47 Daly City, CA $35,935 $2,994 $691 $17.28 Emeryville, CA $35,864 $2,988 $689 $17.24 Santa Cruz, CA $35,809 $2,984 $688 $17.22

Fast Food Cook

Fast Food Cook Salary

Q: How much does a Fast Food Cook make?

The average annual pay for a fast food cook in the United States is $31,013 a year — that works out to approximately $14.91 an hour. The middle 80% of Fast Food Cooks earn between $22,000 (10th percentile) and $39,500 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Fast Food Cook Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Fast Food Cook in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Catering Cook at $7,507 (24.2%) above Fast Food Cook. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Catering Cook $38,520 $3,210 $740 $18.52 Head Cook $38,058 $3,171 $731 $18.30 Line Handler $37,374 $3,114 $718 $17.97 Breakfast Cook $33,453 $2,787 $643 $16.08 Bar Cook $33,340 $2,778 $641 $16.03

$17K

$29K

$54.5K

$31,013

/year

$14.91

/hour

Fast Food Cook Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$31,013

Columbus

Ohio

$29,955

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How much does a Fast Food Cook make?

As of Jul 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Fast Food Cook in the United States is $31,013 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $14.91 an hour. This is the equivalent of $596/week or $2,584/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $54,500 and as low as $17,000, the majority of Fast Food Cook salaries currently range between $25,000 (25th percentile) to $34,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $39,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Fast Food Cook varies greatly (by as much as 9000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Fast Food Cook in your area makes on average $29,955 per year, or $1,058 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $31,013. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Fast Food Cook salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Fast Food Cook jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Fast Food Cook on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Fast Food Cook Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Fast Food Cook job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Sitka, AK, and San Ysidro, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Ysidro, CA, beats the national average by $5,703 (18.4%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $7,458 (24.0%) above the $31,013 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Fast Food Cook appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Nome, AK, and Santa Cruz, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Fast Food Cook role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Nome, AK	$38,471	$3,205	$739	$18.50
Sitka, AK	$37,361	$3,113	$718	$17.96
San Ysidro, CA	$36,716	$3,059	$706	$17.65
East Palo Alto, CA	$36,543	$3,045	$702	$17.57
San Francisco, CA	$36,539	$3,044	$702	$17.57
Santa Clara, CA	$36,423	$3,035	$700	$17.51
San Jose, CA	$36,347	$3,028	$698	$17.47
Daly City, CA	$35,935	$2,994	$691	$17.28
Emeryville, CA	$35,864	$2,988	$689	$17.24
Santa Cruz, CA	$35,809	$2,984	$688	$17.22

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Fast Food Cook Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Fast Food Cook category.

For example Catering Cook jobs pay as much as $7,507 (24.2%) more than the average Fast Food Cook salary of $31,013. If you're qualified, finding work as a Catering Cook may help you make more money than that of the average Fast Food Cook position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Catering Cook	$38,520	$3,210	$740	$18.52
Head Cook	$38,058	$3,171	$731	$18.30
Line Handler	$37,374	$3,114	$718	$17.97
Breakfast Cook	$33,453	$2,787	$643	$16.08
Bar Cook	$33,340	$2,778	$641	$16.03

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Fast Food Cook salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $31,013 per year or $14.91 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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