Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Maryland
The median for cooks, fast food in Maryland is $33,320 a year, somewhat above the national $30,890 (+8%); the state ranks 18th of 51 states by median. That is 44% less than the median across all occupations in Maryland ($59,510). Among neighbouring states, District of Columbia pays more (up to $44,670 in District of Columbia) and Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia pay less (down to $23,120 in West Virginia). Maryland employs 10,960 cooks, fast food, 3.97 per 1,000 jobs, the 18th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.96 is close to the national share.
Maryland vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.08 | $16.02 | $17.16 | $18.37 | $16.47 | 10,960 | 3.97 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,360 | $33,320 | $35,700 | $38,210 | $34,260 | ||||
| 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
- 18th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 18th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.97
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Maryland'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 Maryland
6 metropolitan areas and 1 nonmetropolitan area touching Maryland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $17.21 | $35,800 | $31,200 | $47,000 | 10,580 | 3.37 | 0.82 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $16.01 | $33,290 | $31,200 | $38,210 | 5,440 | 4.01 | 0.97 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $15.49 | $32,220 | $24,850 | $46,430 | 4,010 | 1.38 | 0.34 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $15.31 | $31,840 | $31,200 | $36,850 | 290 | 4.12 | 1.00 |
| Salisbury, MD | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $37,780 | 250 | 4.65 | 1.13 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $13.28 | $27,620 | $23,030 | $35,310 | 1,400 | 13.07 | 3.17 |
| Maryland nonmetropolitan area | $15.61 | $32,470 | $31,200 | $38,160 | 560 | 4.96 | 1.20 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $16.02 | $33,320 | 10,960 | 0.96 |
| District of Columbia | $21.48 | $44,670 | 2,760 | 0.96 |
| Delaware | $15.31 | $31,840 | 850 | 0.43 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.85 | $28,810 | 9,240 | 0.37 |
| Virginia | $14.40 | $29,950 | 12,520 | 0.74 |
| West Virginia | $11.12 | $23,120 | 16,490 | 5.70 |
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Maryland 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 Maryland estimates.
- 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.