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Food Preparation

Fast Food & Counter Workers

SOC 35-3023

Take orders and serve customers at counters and drive-throughs.

The job
Median pay
$31k
$28k to $36k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+5.8% projected
Openings a year
827k
BLS projection
Typical education
No formal credential
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
9/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
16th pct
More exposed than 16% of occupations · modeled estimate · 57th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
47/100

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Weigh it against Food Preparation WorkersPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostCalifornia leads at $42k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Fast Food & Counter Workers and explore its neighbours See open jobsFast Food & Counter Workers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Fast Food & Counter Workers, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Fast Food & Counter Workers say they actually earn

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Texas460,53032.71.3×$28k
California449,84024.71.0×$42k
Florida235,40023.71.0×$29k
New York168,62017.40.7×$35k
Ohio163,56029.51.2×$28k
Georgia145,03029.71.2×$27k
Pennsylvania142,22023.50.9×$29k
Illinois127,59020.90.8×$34k
Virginia104,46025.41.0×$30k
Michigan103,13023.40.9×$29k
All 51 states
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Indiana97,29030.41.2×$29k
Washington94,71026.71.1×$38k
New Jersey93,73021.90.9×$34k
North Carolina92,23018.70.8×$29k
Tennessee90,69027.71.1×$27k
Massachusetts85,81023.60.9×$36k
Colorado82,01028.51.1×$36k
Arizona77,21023.81.0×$34k
Wisconsin67,75023.00.9×$29k
South Carolina65,07028.21.1×$28k
Oregon59,92030.51.2×$35k
Minnesota58,97020.00.8×$31k
Oklahoma52,52030.81.2×$23k
Utah52,34030.21.2×$29k
Maryland49,38017.90.7×$34k
Kansas47,14032.81.3×$28k
Nevada45,85029.61.2×$32k
Louisiana45,72023.60.9×$23k
Kentucky41,86020.90.8×$27k
Alabama41,46019.60.8×$24k
Iowa40,29025.81.0×$28k
Connecticut35,72021.10.8×$35k
Arkansas35,66027.41.1×$26k
Mississippi31,22026.81.1×$23k
Nebraska30,06029.31.2×$29k
Missouri29,36010.00.4×$30k
New Mexico28,25032.41.3×$29k
Idaho25,81030.11.2×$29k
Hawaii24,13038.51.6×$35k
Maine17,25026.91.1×$35k
South Dakota15,15033.11.3×$29k
Montana14,96029.21.2×$29k
New Hampshire14,54021.30.9×$32k
Delaware13,31027.51.1×$31k
Rhode Island13,31026.51.1×$31k
North Dakota11,47026.71.1×$30k
Wyoming7,06025.11.0×$28k
Vermont6,83022.50.9×$36k
West Virginia6,2408.90.4×$26k
Alaska5,90018.10.7×$33k
Washington DC5,5007.80.3×$37k

Top metro areas

  1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ166,040 jobs · $35k median
  2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA160,270 jobs · $42k median
  3. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX128,380 jobs · $28k median
  4. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX105,810 jobs · $28k median
  5. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN97,280 jobs · $35k median
  6. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA80,730 jobs · $28k median
  7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD69,080 jobs · $32k median
  8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV60,560 jobs · $35k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.