Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Washington
Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington earn a median $37,710 a year, +21% against the national median of $31,200; they and rank 2nd of 51 states by median. That is 40% less than the median across all occupations in Washington ($62,990). Washington pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon and Idaho range from $28,940 in Idaho to $35,050 in Oregon. Washington employs 94,710 fast food and counter workers, 26.7 per 1,000 jobs, the 12th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.08 is close to the national share.
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 | $16.85 | $17.25 | $18.13 | $21.27 | $23.01 | $19.42 | 94,710 | 26.67 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $35,050 | $35,880 | $37,710 | $44,240 | $47,860 | $40,390 | ||||
| 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
- 2nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 12th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.08
- Jobs per 1,000
- 26.67
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
13 metropolitan areas and 2 nonmetropolitan areas touching Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $18.82 | $39,150 | $35,580 | $50,980 | 49,190 | 23.58 | 0.95 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $17.83 | $37,080 | $35,840 | $45,970 | 3,180 | 33.97 | 1.37 |
| Bellingham, WA | $17.81 | $37,030 | $35,230 | $45,490 | 2,830 | 31.02 | 1.25 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $17.74 | $36,890 | $35,610 | $45,540 | 1,580 | 30.11 | 1.21 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $17.52 | $36,450 | $34,650 | $45,600 | 1,690 | 33.05 | 1.33 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $17.51 | $36,410 | $34,900 | $44,410 | 4,120 | 31.80 | 1.28 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $17.36 | $36,110 | $34,960 | $45,420 | 3,910 | 30.00 | 1.21 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $17.32 | $36,020 | $34,990 | $46,600 | 1,440 | 35.04 | 1.41 |
| Yakima, WA | $17.23 | $35,830 | $34,650 | $44,240 | 3,280 | 33.85 | 1.37 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $17.20 | $35,780 | $34,650 | $44,350 | 7,870 | 30.77 | 1.24 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $17.13 | $35,620 | $34,280 | $45,320 | 34,840 | 28.83 | 1.16 |
| Walla Walla, WA | $16.84 | $35,020 | $34,650 | $43,820 | 800 | 30.71 | 1.24 |
| Lewiston, ID-WA | $16.66 | $34,650 | $22,500 | $37,090 | 930 | 32.48 | 1.31 |
| Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $17.76 | $36,930 | $35,300 | $46,460 | 3,230 | 29.70 | 1.20 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $17.70 | $36,820 | $35,160 | $46,500 | 4,490 | 34.58 | 1.40 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Fast Food and Counter Workers (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.