Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $41,480 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Chicago earn between $33,040 and $37,710.
- $31K10th
- $33K25th
- $35KMedian
- $38K75th
- $41K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $36,000 | $3,000 | $17.31 |
| Median | $35,360 | $2,947 | $17.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $33,040 | $2,753 | $15.88 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $37,710 | $3,142 | $18.13 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $36,000, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $29,465 a year, or $2,455 a month and $1,133 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $30,056 | $2,505 |
| Working in IL | $29,465 | $2,455 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for cooks, fast food? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $36,000 buys what about $34,751 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 9.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Fast Food salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 6 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$36,000
- Champaign$33,790
- Rockford$33,690
- Peoria$33,100
- Bloomington$32,770
- Kankakee$32,300
Highest-paying cities for cooks, fast food
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,590).
- San Francisco, CA$46,590
- San Jose, CA$46,530
- Vallejo, CA$44,360
- Napa, CA$43,910
- Seattle, WA$43,770
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Cooks, Fast Food salary in Chicago: questions
How much do cooks, fast food make an hour in Chicago?
$17.31 an hour on average, and $17.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, fast food salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $33,040, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, fast food take-home pay in Chicago?
About $29,465 a year ($2,455 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $36,000.
Do cooks, fast food earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($33,261).
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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
- 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 (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.56, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.56).
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