Fast Food and Counter Workers
SOC code 35-3023 · O*NET-SOC 35-3023.00 · Little to some preparation needed · Food service and hospitality
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth and numerous job openings for this occupation
Fast food and counter work is a high-turnover, high-openings occupation — one of the easiest jobs to get and one of the most common ways young workers enter the labour market. The skills are real (pace, food safety, customer handling) and the first step up, shift leader, usually comes quickly to people who stay.
Fast Food and Counter Workers pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$31,200
a year
Hourly
$15.00
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$32,150
$15.46 per hour
Middle 50%
$27,700 – $36,070
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$22,840 – $42,650
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
3,854,050
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $22,840
- $10.98/hr
- 25th percentile
- $27,700
- $13.32/hr
- Median percentile
- $31,200
- $15.00/hr
- 75th percentile
- $36,070
- $17.34/hr
- 90th percentile
- $42,650
- $20.51/hr
What do fast food and counter workers do?
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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees.
- 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.
- Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions.
- 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.
How to qualify for this work
Most people in this role hold less than a high school diploma — 56% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 2 — Little to some preparation needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Less than a High School Diploma56%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)24%
- Some College Courses17%
- Post-Secondary Certificate3%
Common questions
How much does a fast food and counter workers earn?
The national median is $31,200 a year. The full range runs from $22,840 at the 10th percentile to $42,650 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a fast food and counter workers without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 2, meaning the typical entry route is usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Monitoring2.9/5
- Speaking2.6/5
- Critical Thinking2.5/5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service3.8/5
- English Language3.5/5
- Food Production3.4/5
- Mathematics3.0/5
- Computers and Electronics2.7/5
- Administration and Management2.6/5
- Sales and Marketing2.5/5
Transferable strengths: Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation.