Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Washington
Cooks, Fast Food in Washington earn a median $39,120 a year, +27% against the national median of $30,890; they and rank 4th of 51 states by median. That is 38% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $31,070 in Idaho to $37,880 in Oregon. Washington employs 9,020 cooks, fast food, 2.54 per 1,000 jobs, the 22nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.62 means it is less common in Washington than nationally.
Washington vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.99 | $17.50 | $18.81 | $21.18 | $21.57 | $19.92 | 9,020 | 2.54 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $35,330 | $36,390 | $39,120 | $44,050 | $44,860 | $41,420 | ||||
| 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
- 4th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 22nd of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 0.62
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.54
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Washington'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 Washington
11 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $21.17 | $44,030 | $35,330 | $48,140 | 5,190 | 2.49 | 0.60 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $18.55 | $38,580 | $36,410 | $53,430 | 2,520 | 2.09 | 0.51 |
| Bellingham, WA | $18.50 | $38,480 | $34,790 | $43,330 | 230 | 2.49 | 0.60 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $18.23 | $37,910 | $36,020 | $41,890 | 300 | 3.21 | 0.78 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $18.20 | $37,850 | $35,850 | $41,880 | 170 | 3.25 | 0.79 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $17.80 | $37,030 | $35,600 | $39,490 | 330 | 2.53 | 0.61 |
| Yakima, WA | $17.65 | $36,710 | $34,650 | $38,000 | 290 | 2.95 | 0.72 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $17.59 | $36,600 | $34,850 | $41,670 | 330 | 2.53 | 0.61 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $17.57 | $36,550 | $34,650 | $38,910 | 140 | 3.46 | 0.84 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $17.43 | $36,260 | $34,650 | $44,560 | 140 | 2.67 | 0.65 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $16.47 | $34,270 | $28,790 | $34,650 | 50 | 1.71 | 0.41 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $18.81 | $39,120 | $35,460 | $45,650 | 210 | 1.96 | 0.47 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $17.83 | $37,090 | $35,650 | $40,250 | 420 | 3.25 | 0.79 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Washington 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 Washington 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.