Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages. Counter attendants who also wait tables are included in “Waiters and Waitresses” (35-3031),
National median · BLS
$31,200
▲ +2.36%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$32,150
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
3,854,050
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$22,840
25th
$27,700
Median (50th)
$31,200
75th
$36,070
90th — top pay
$42,650
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Fast Food and Counter Workers
BLS projects employment of fast food and counter workers to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 827,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
3,855,900 → 4,079,100
+223,300 jobs
Projected change
+5.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
827,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries by metro area
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Metro area
Median
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Fast Food and Counter Workers
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Active Listening3.0
Coordination3.0
Service Orientation3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.0
Monitoring2.9
Speaking2.6
Critical Thinking2.5
Judgment and Decision Making2.4
Reading Comprehension2.4
Time Management2.4
Top knowledge areas
Customer and Personal Service3.8
English Language3.5
Food Production3.4
Mathematics3.0
Computers and Electronics2.7
Administration and Management2.6
Sales and Marketing2.5
Production and Processing2.4
Software and technology used
FacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft WindowsAldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants ProCompris softwareFoodman Home-DeliveryIntuit QuickBooks Point of SaleMenu and nutrition database softwareMICROS Systems HSI Profits SeriesNCR Advanced Checkout SolutionNCR NeighborhoodPOSPlexis Software Plexis POSQuizletRestaurantPlus PROThe General Store
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What fast food and counter workers do
Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
Also called
Cafeteria WorkerCounter WorkerFood Service WorkerServerCafe ServerCafeteria ServerDeli Worker (Delicatessen Worker)Dietary AideFood ServerSnack Bar Attendant
Specialties within this occupation
Baristas
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member)Bakery AssociateBaristaBistro Team MemberCafe WorkerCafeteria Food ServerCafeteria Lunchroom Counter AttendantCandy AttendantCandy Bar AttendantCandy Counter ClerkCanteen OperatorCarhopCaterer's AideCaterer's HelperCatering AssistantCatering AttendantCoffee AttendantCoffee BrewerCoffee Shop AttendantConcession AttendantConcession Stand AttendantConcessionaireCounter AttendantCounter ClerkCounter HelperCounter HopCounter PersonCounter WaiterCounter WaitressCrew MemberDeli Associate (Delicatessen Associate)Deli Clerk (Delicatessen Clerk)Deli Team Member (Delicatessen Team Member)Dish Up PersonFast Food CashierFast Food ServerFast Food Team MemberFast Food WorkerFood ChampionFood Counter WorkerFood Service AssistantFood Service AssociateFood Service Counter ClerkFood Service Order ClerkFood Service SpecialistFood Service Team MemberFood Team MemberFountain AttendantFountain ClerkFountain DispenserFountain HelperFountain JerkFountain OperatorFountain ServerFountain WaiterFountain WaitressFront Counter AttendantFront of House Team Member (FOH Team Member)Hot Dog VenderHot Dog VendorIce Cream DipperIce Cream ManIce Cream ScooperIce Cream ServerIce Cream Shop AssociateKitchen Food ServerKitchen Team MemberLine PersonLine ServerMeat ClerkMess AttendantOrder ClerkOrder FillerPopcorn AttendantRestaurant Crew MemberRestaurant Team MemberRestaurant WorkerSalad Counter AttendantSandwich ArtistSandwich Counter Attendant
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Fast Food and Counter Workers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $31,200.
