Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $38,310 per year ($18.42 per hour) based on 51,590 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +25.7% against the national median of $30,480 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where fast food and counter workers actually sit across the pay range in Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.17 | $35,710 | |
| 25th percentile | $17.60 | $36,600 | |
| Median | $18.42 | $38,310 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $21.64 | $45,020 | |
| 90th percentile | $23.28 | $48,420 | |
| Average (mean) | $19.74 | $41,060 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $38,310 runs +25.7% above the US median of $30,480 for this occupation; it pays 43.3% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 681st of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $38,310 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $30,480 | +25.7% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | -43.3% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $40,470 | -5.3% |
The location quotient of 1.01 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.5%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 681st of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $38,310 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 681st.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Where fast food and counter workers earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $26,960 to $40,470. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $40,470 | 47,330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38,310 | 51,590 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36,480 | 153,840 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $36,310 | 42,620 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $36,250 | 51,500 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $35,860 | 40,240 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $35,430 | 57,320 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $35,420 | 175,790 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $34,850 | 33,490 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $34,620 | 37,380 |
See the full national picture on the Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for fast food and counter workers in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $38,310, or $18 per hour. That means half of the fast food and counter workers working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $41,060.
What do the highest and lowest paid fast food and counter workers in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $35,710 or less, while the top 10% earn $48,420 or more — a spread of $12,710 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $36,600 and $45,020.
Is fast food and counter workers pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 43.3% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $38,310 the metro median is 25.7% higher than the US median of $30,480 for fast food and counter workers. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $26,960 to $40,470.
How many fast food and counter workers work in Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 51,590 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 24.77 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 1.01 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.3%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.