Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Pennsylvania
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Pennsylvania have a median of $28,570 a year, below the national $31,200 (−8%); the state ranks 35th of 51 states by median. That is 43% less than the median across all occupations in Pennsylvania ($49,690). Among neighbouring states, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware pay more (up to $35,250 in New York) and Ohio and West Virginia pay less (down to $26,070 in West Virginia). Pennsylvania employs 142,220 fast food and counter workers, 23.5 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.95 is close to the national share.
Pennsylvania vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $10.59 | $11.75 | $13.74 | $15.54 | $17.25 | $13.91 | 142,220 | 23.45 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $22,030 | $24,440 | $28,570 | $32,310 | $35,880 | $28,930 | ||||
| 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
- 35th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.95
- Jobs per 1,000
- 23.45
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania
16 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Lancaster, PA | $13.74 | $28,580 | $22,150 | $35,930 | 6,870 | 27.26 | 1.10 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $13.58 | $28,250 | $21,960 | $35,630 | 27,460 | 24.64 | 0.99 |
| Lebanon, PA | $13.56 | $28,200 | $22,060 | $35,710 | 1,490 | 27.75 | 1.12 |
| Reading, PA | $13.51 | $28,090 | $22,130 | $35,790 | 4,280 | 24.51 | 0.99 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $13.50 | $28,070 | $22,100 | $35,580 | 8,030 | 23.96 | 0.97 |
| York-Hanover, PA | $13.42 | $27,920 | $21,780 | $35,450 | 5,240 | 28.54 | 1.15 |
| State College, PA | $13.36 | $27,790 | $21,660 | $35,650 | 2,320 | 33.71 | 1.36 |
| Gettysburg, PA | $13.26 | $27,590 | $21,770 | $34,900 | 920 | 28.78 | 1.16 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $13.25 | $27,550 | $21,580 | $34,690 | 1,580 | 26.17 | 1.06 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $13.23 | $27,520 | $21,720 | $34,980 | 6,450 | 25.22 | 1.02 |
| Williamsport, PA | $13.17 | $27,400 | $21,140 | $34,420 | 1,410 | 28.51 | 1.15 |
| Erie, PA | $12.76 | $26,540 | $21,260 | $33,890 | 3,510 | 29.17 | 1.18 |
| Altoona, PA | $12.54 | $26,090 | $20,210 | $34,540 | 1,800 | 30.65 | 1.24 |
| Johnstown, PA | $11.90 | $24,750 | $20,230 | $33,740 | 1,380 | 28.86 | 1.16 |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $13.08 | $27,210 | $21,790 | $34,730 | 3,730 | 28.88 | 1.17 |
| Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $12.93 | $26,890 | $21,230 | $34,220 | 4,180 | 29.77 | 1.20 |
| Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $12.87 | $26,770 | $21,450 | $34,770 | 5,180 | 27.57 | 1.11 |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $12.67 | $26,340 | $21,250 | $33,700 | 3,520 | 23.58 | 0.95 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $13.74 | $28,570 | 142,220 | 0.95 |
| Delaware | $15.05 | $31,300 | 13,310 | 1.11 |
| Maryland | $16.18 | $33,660 | 49,380 | 0.72 |
| New Jersey | $16.42 | $34,150 | 93,730 | 0.88 |
| New York | $16.95 | $35,250 | 168,620 | 0.70 |
| Ohio | $13.67 | $28,430 | 163,560 | 1.19 |
| West Virginia | $12.54 | $26,070 | 6,240 | 0.36 |
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (every state ranked) and the Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.