Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in New Jersey
The median for fast food and counter workers in New Jersey is $34,150 a year, somewhat above the national $31,200 (+9%); the state ranks 13th of 51 states by median. That is 42% less than the median across all occupations in New Jersey ($58,570). Among neighbouring states, New York pays more (up to $35,250 in New York) and Delaware and Pennsylvania pay less (down to $28,570 in Pennsylvania). New Jersey employs 93,730 fast food and counter workers, 21.9 per 1,000 jobs, the 13th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.88 is close to the national share.
New Jersey vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $15.49 | $15.49 | $16.42 | $17.38 | $18.81 | $16.88 | 93,730 | 21.87 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $32,220 | $34,150 | $36,150 | $39,130 | $35,110 | ||||
| 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
- 13th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 13th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 21.87
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of New Jersey'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 New Jersey
6 metropolitan areas touching New Jersey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $17.03 | $35,420 | $33,070 | $44,130 | 166,040 | 17.49 | 0.71 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $16.69 | $34,720 | $32,220 | $37,510 | 4,300 | 17.90 | 0.72 |
| Vineland, NJ | $16.13 | $33,550 | $32,220 | $36,860 | 1,800 | 28.87 | 1.16 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $16.00 | $33,270 | $32,220 | $36,970 | 5,510 | 32.64 | 1.32 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $15.49 | $32,220 | $23,790 | $36,920 | 69,080 | 23.84 | 0.96 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $13.98 | $29,090 | $22,320 | $36,200 | 9,110 | 24.16 | 0.97 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $16.42 | $34,150 | 93,730 | 0.88 |
| Delaware | $15.05 | $31,300 | 13,310 | 1.11 |
| New York | $16.95 | $35,250 | 168,620 | 0.70 |
| Pennsylvania | $13.74 | $28,570 | 142,220 | 0.95 |
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (every state ranked) and the New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.