Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Illinois
The median for fast food and counter workers in Illinois is $33,910 a year, somewhat above the national $31,200 (+9%); the state ranks 14th of 51 states by median. That is 35% 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 $27,130 in Kentucky to $30,390 in Missouri. Illinois employs 127,590 fast food and counter workers, 20.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 8th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.84 is close to the national share.
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 | $15.00 | $16.30 | $17.31 | $17.95 | $16.48 | 127,590 | 20.92 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,200 | $33,910 | $35,990 | $37,330 | $34,280 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.98 | $13.32 | $15.00 | $17.34 | $20.51 | $15.46 | 3,854,050 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,840 | $27,700 | $31,200 | $36,070 | $42,650 | $32,150 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 14th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 8th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.84
- Jobs per 1,000
- 20.92
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
12 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois publish a row for fast food and counter workers, 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 | $16.65 | $34,630 | $31,200 | $38,610 | 97,280 | 21.55 | 0.87 |
| Rockford, IL | $15.21 | $31,640 | $31,200 | $35,310 | 3,630 | 26.41 | 1.07 |
| Springfield, IL | $15.07 | $31,350 | $31,200 | $36,210 | 1,760 | 17.43 | 0.70 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $15.05 | $31,300 | $31,200 | $35,530 | 2,890 | 27.37 | 1.10 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $15.03 | $31,260 | $29,470 | $36,480 | 19,170 | 14.30 | 0.58 |
| Kankakee, IL | $15.01 | $31,220 | $31,200 | $35,400 | 1,220 | 28.77 | 1.16 |
| Bloomington, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,060 | 2,430 | 27.57 | 1.11 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $23,180 | $35,430 | 4,810 | 26.66 | 1.08 |
| Decatur, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,510 | 970 | 21.27 | 0.86 |
| Peoria, IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,600 | 3,260 | 19.66 | 0.79 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $14.33 | $29,810 | $28,600 | $35,360 | 520 | 11.74 | 0.47 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $13.29 | $27,640 | $21,810 | $32,930 | 1,160 | 23.06 | 0.93 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,730 | 4,590 | 32.08 | 1.29 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,210 | 2,730 | 21.50 | 0.87 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $34,820 | 3,560 | 25.19 | 1.02 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $15.00 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $35,060 | 4,140 | 24.45 | 0.99 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (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.
- 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.