Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Texas
Cooks, Fast Food in Texas have a median of $28,280 a year, below the national $30,890 (−8%); the state ranks 39th of 51 states by median. That is 42% less than the median across all occupations in Texas ($48,620). Among neighbouring states, New Mexico pays more (up to $30,190 in New Mexico) and Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana pay less (down to $24,960 in Louisiana). Texas employs 36,240 cooks, fast food, 2.58 per 1,000 jobs, the 4th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.62 means it is less common in Texas than nationally.
Texas vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $10.00 | $11.10 | $13.60 | $17.52 | $18.82 | $14.27 | 36,240 | 2.58 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $20,800 | $23,090 | $28,280 | $36,450 | $39,140 | $29,680 | ||||
| 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
- 39th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 4th of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.62
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.58
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Texas'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 Texas
20 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $18.54 | $38,560 | $27,680 | $50,970 | 4,540 | 3.51 | 0.85 |
| Midland, TX | $15.02 | $31,240 | $22,120 | $42,300 | 300 | 2.42 | 0.59 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $14.48 | $30,110 | $22,140 | $37,490 | 4,470 | 3.97 | 0.96 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $14.43 | $30,010 | $23,350 | $43,400 | 6,490 | 1.60 | 0.39 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $14.05 | $29,230 | $20,860 | $35,700 | 590 | 3.06 | 0.74 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | $13.95 | $29,020 | $20,550 | $36,410 | 510 | 3.39 | 0.82 |
| Longview, TX | $13.94 | $28,990 | $20,790 | $35,720 | 540 | 4.59 | 1.11 |
| Odessa, TX | $13.23 | $27,520 | $21,200 | $37,990 | 210 | 2.62 | 0.64 |
| Waco, TX | $13.21 | $27,470 | $20,390 | $39,300 | 500 | 3.89 | 0.94 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $12.86 | $26,740 | $18,650 | $35,070 | 1,040 | 3.52 | 0.85 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $12.82 | $26,660 | $20,560 | $36,880 | 190 | 3.59 | 0.87 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $12.79 | $26,610 | $20,600 | $36,810 | 420 | 2.55 | 0.62 |
| Amarillo, TX | $12.55 | $26,100 | $20,270 | $36,100 | 440 | 3.53 | 0.86 |
| Abilene, TX | $12.39 | $25,780 | $20,130 | $35,400 | 280 | 3.71 | 0.90 |
| Lubbock, TX | $12.26 | $25,500 | $20,520 | $35,010 | 590 | 3.53 | 0.86 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $12.05 | $25,050 | $18,470 | $35,000 | 490 | 3.12 | 0.76 |
| San Angelo, TX | $12.00 | $24,960 | $19,340 | $34,270 | ** | ** | ** |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | $11.78 | $24,500 | $20,730 | $30,040 | 230 | 4.04 | 0.98 |
| El Paso, TX | $11.73 | $24,390 | $18,180 | $36,820 | 1,140 | 3.37 | 0.82 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $11.10 | $23,090 | $21,530 | $38,210 | 7,950 | 2.42 | 0.59 |
| Eastern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $12.81 | $26,640 | $20,450 | $30,870 | 520 | 4.52 | 1.10 |
| North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $12.81 | $26,640 | $20,800 | $33,240 | 1,010 | 3.68 | 0.89 |
| Border Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $12.37 | $25,730 | $19,860 | $36,650 | 230 | 4.80 | 1.16 |
| Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $10.66 | $22,170 | $18,930 | $30,190 | 560 | 2.98 | 0.72 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $13.60 | $28,280 | 36,240 | 0.62 |
| Arkansas | $13.32 | $27,710 | 7,860 | 1.46 |
| Louisiana | $12.00 | $24,960 | 3,000 | 0.38 |
| New Mexico | $14.52 | $30,190 | 1,800 | 0.50 |
| Oklahoma | $13.33 | $27,720 | 8,860 | 1.26 |
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Texas 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 Texas 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.