Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Iowa
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Iowa have a median of $28,390 a year, below the national $31,200 (−9%); the state ranks 38th of 51 states by median. That is 42% less than the median across all occupations in Iowa ($48,540). Every neighbouring state pays more: Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin range from $28,600 in Wisconsin to $33,910 in Illinois. Iowa employs 40,290 fast food and counter workers, 25.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 31st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.04 is close to the national share.
Iowa vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $10.39 | $12.57 | $13.65 | $16.08 | $17.30 | $13.91 | 40,290 | 25.84 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $21,620 | $26,150 | $28,390 | $33,440 | $35,990 | $28,940 | ||||
| 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
- 38th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 31st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.04
- Jobs per 1,000
- 25.84
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Iowa'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 Iowa
9 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $15.00 | $31,200 | $23,180 | $35,430 | 4,810 | 26.66 | 1.08 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $14.16 | $29,450 | $28,110 | $35,940 | 15,580 | 31.28 | 1.26 |
| Ames, IA | $14.05 | $29,220 | $21,680 | $36,710 | 1,620 | 28.93 | 1.17 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $14.01 | $29,140 | $21,870 | $36,400 | 10,060 | 24.88 | 1.00 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $13.99 | $29,090 | $22,410 | $35,870 | 2,060 | 27.50 | 1.11 |
| Iowa City, IA | $13.83 | $28,760 | $22,000 | $36,090 | 2,890 | 30.82 | 1.24 |
| Dubuque, IA | $13.79 | $28,680 | $21,930 | $36,340 | 1,600 | 27.30 | 1.10 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $13.60 | $28,280 | $21,860 | $35,820 | 3,590 | 25.81 | 1.04 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $13.38 | $27,820 | $21,720 | $35,870 | 2,500 | 29.68 | 1.20 |
| Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $13.43 | $27,930 | $20,200 | $35,820 | 2,190 | 22.03 | 0.89 |
| Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $13.24 | $27,540 | $20,380 | $35,090 | 1,650 | 22.50 | 0.91 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $13.20 | $27,460 | $21,080 | $35,490 | 4,900 | 24.47 | 0.99 |
| Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $13.03 | $27,100 | $18,220 | $35,130 | 3,080 | 21.08 | 0.85 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (every state ranked) and the Iowa 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 Iowa 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.