SOC 35-2011 · Auburn-Opelika, AL metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Auburn, AL

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Auburn, Alabama is $27,010 a year ($12.99 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,120: half of the 1,220 people in this job in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

$27,010average per year

$12.99 / hourMedian $27,120Take-home ≈ $22,818

  • $23K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $33K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

1,220people in this job
-17%vs U.S. average
#7 of 12Alabama metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Auburn

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $33,140 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Auburn earn between $23,150 and $29,110.

  • $23K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $33K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$27,010$2,251$12.99
Median$27,120$2,260$13.04
Entry level (25th percentile)$23,150$1,929$11.13
Experienced (75th percentile)$29,110$2,426$14.00

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Cooks, Fast Food pay in Auburn vs. Alabama and the U.S.

Cooks, fast food in Auburn earn about the same as the Alabama average ($27,570) and 17% less than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is -12% against the U.S. median of $30,890.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Auburn$27,010$27,120$22,600$33,1401,220
Alabama$27,570$27,870$22,640$34,17026,740
United States$32,390$30,890$22,580$42,910641,070

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Auburn

On the average salary of $27,010, a single filer in Auburn takes home about $22,818 a year, or $1,902 a month and $878 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Alabama paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Auburn a good place for cooks, fast food? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Auburn area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 87.9), so the average $27,010 buys what about $30,717 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Auburn ($39,070). A typical home costs $349,842, or 13.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $27,010 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other Alabama cities

Auburn ranks 7th of 12 Alabama metro areas for this job; Huntsville pays the most ($29,870).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in Alabama

Highest-paying cities for cooks, fast food

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,590).

Cooks, Fast Food salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Cooks, Fast Food in Auburn, AL.

Cooks, Fast Food salary in Auburn: questions

How much do cooks, fast food make an hour in Auburn?

$12.99 an hour on average, and $13.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level cooks, fast food salary in Auburn?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $23,150, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the cooks, fast food take-home pay in Auburn?

About $22,818 a year ($1,902 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $27,010. City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.

Do cooks, fast food earn more in Auburn than elsewhere?

The average here is 17% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-2011; area Auburn-Opelika, AL (12220). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.3%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). City occupational taxes (for example in Birmingham and Gadsden) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 4.06, this job is 4.1 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.