Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Illinois
The median for cooks, fast food in Illinois is $34,960 a year, somewhat above the national $30,890 (+13%); the state ranks 14th of 51 states by median. That is 33% less than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kentucky range from $23,500 in Kentucky to $29,890 in Missouri. Illinois employs 13,430 cooks, fast food, 2.20 per 1,000 jobs, the 11th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.53 means it is less common in Illinois than nationally.
Illinois vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.11 | $16.81 | $17.96 | $19.51 | $16.99 | 13,430 | 2.20 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,430 | $34,960 | $37,350 | $40,580 | $35,340 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 14th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 11th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.53
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.20
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Illinois's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Illinois
9 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $17.00 | $35,360 | $31,200 | $41,480 | 10,460 | 2.32 | 0.56 |
| Rockford, IL | $16.05 | $33,380 | $31,200 | $36,150 | 310 | 2.25 | 0.55 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $15.79 | $32,840 | $31,200 | $38,270 | 230 | 2.19 | 0.53 |
| Peoria, IL | $15.55 | $32,340 | $31,200 | $37,490 | 340 | 2.06 | 0.50 |
| Kankakee, IL | $15.34 | $31,900 | $31,200 | $34,080 | 80 | 1.88 | 0.46 |
| Bloomington, IL | $15.11 | $31,430 | $31,200 | $36,640 | 170 | 1.97 | 0.48 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $14.84 | $30,860 | $29,510 | $36,450 | 17,700 | 13.20 | 3.20 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $14.65 | $30,460 | $15,760 | $37,460 | 790 | 4.37 | 1.06 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $13.86 | $28,820 | $28,600 | $33,870 | 1,070 | 23.89 | 5.79 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.14 | $31,480 | $31,200 | $35,570 | 360 | 2.55 | 0.62 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.14 | $31,480 | $31,200 | $36,130 | 390 | 2.29 | 0.56 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,580 | ** | ** | ** |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Illinois wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Illinois estimates.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.