Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Cooks, fast food work in a large occupation with about 670,000 jobs nationwide. The national median annual salary is $30,160, and the role typically does not require any formal educational credential. This combination can make it accessible for people starting their first job, reentering the workforce, or changing careers without going back to school. The role draws on a broad mix of abilities, including customer service, physical strength and stamina, speaking and listening, attention to detail, fine motor skills, and mechanical skills. Interpersonal skills, leadership, basic computers and information technology, and creativity and innovation also play a part in success. While projected employment growth is -13.5%, there are still an estimated 82,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing hiring needs. For those interested in related paths, similar occupations include locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants, crossing guards and flaggers, postal service mail carriers, food preparation workers, and cashiers.
The national median annual salary for cooks, fast food is $30,160. Earnings vary across states and metro areas, which can influence where this role may be more financially attractive. Among the top states by opportunity score, California stands out with a median salary of $42,050, while Washington offers $39,120 and Colorado $36,900. New York’s median is $35,770, and Virginia’s is closer to the national median at $29,950. At the metro level, some areas show even higher median salaries. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA reports $47,220, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA is close behind at $46,670. Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA has a median of $38,000, while New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ and Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV are both around the mid-$30,000s. These differences highlight how local pay levels can shape earning potential in this occupation.
Cooks, fast food make up a sizable national workforce, with about 670,000 people employed in this occupation. The projected employment growth rate is -13.5%, indicating an expected decline in total employment over the projection period. At the same time, there are an estimated 82,000 annual openings. This combination means that even with shrinking overall employment, many positions are expected to open each year due to factors such as people changing jobs or leaving the workforce. The -13.5% growth projection is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, where the same decline rate is reported. Individuals considering this career should weigh the large number of existing jobs and ongoing openings against the overall downward employment trend. Exploring similar occupations—such as food preparation workers, cashiers, postal service mail carriers, crossing guards and flaggers, and locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants—may provide additional options with different outlooks.
Location makes a clear difference for cooks, fast food, both in pay and in overall opportunity scores. Among states, California has the highest opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $42,050 and substantial employment of 124,440. New York also ranks highly, with an opportunity score of 65.78 and a median salary of $35,770, though employment is smaller at 11,710. Colorado, Washington, and Virginia have opportunity scores between about 55 and 57. Their median salaries range from $29,950 in Virginia to $39,120 in Washington, with employment levels from about 9,000 to over 12,000. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA has the highest opportunity score at 77.42 and the highest median salary at $47,220, but employment is 4,790. New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ has a similarly high opportunity score of 77.27 with 10,410 jobs. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA and Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CA combine relatively high salaries with sizable employment, while Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV offers mid-$30,000s pay and over 10,000 jobs.
The typical education requirement for cooks, fast food is no formal educational credential. This makes the occupation accessible to individuals who have not completed a degree or formal training program and want to enter the workforce quickly. Even without formal education requirements, a broad set of skills is important. Customer service abilities help in dealing with people, while strong physical strength and stamina support the demands of the work environment. Speaking and listening skills, along with being detail oriented and having fine motor skills, contribute to performing tasks accurately. Mechanical skills can also be relevant. Interpersonal skills and leadership may be valuable for working with others or taking on added responsibilities. Basic computers and information technology skills, as well as creativity and innovation, round out the skill set. Because formal credentials are not required, building and demonstrating these skills can be a key way to stand out and progress in this field or related occupations such as food preparation workers or cashiers.
Use CareerGPS Pro to compare markets, understand the tradeoffs, and focus on the places with the strongest potential.
