SOC 35-2011 · Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Muskegon, MI

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Muskegon, Michigan is $28,530 a year ($13.71 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,820: half of the 570 people in this job in the Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

$28,530average per year

$13.71 / hourMedian $28,820Take-home ≈ $23,911

  • $26K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $32K90th

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

570people in this job
-12%vs U.S. average
#11 of 12Michigan metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Muskegon

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $31,560 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Muskegon earn between $25,960 and $28,820.

  • $26K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $29K75th
  • $32K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,530$2,378$13.72
Median$28,820$2,402$13.86
Entry level (25th percentile)$25,960$2,163$12.48
Experienced (75th percentile)$28,820$2,402$13.86

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

Cooks, Fast Food pay in Muskegon vs. Michigan and the U.S.

Cooks, fast food in Muskegon earn 6% less than the Michigan average ($30,400) and 12% less than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $30,890.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Muskegon$28,530$28,820$25,960$31,560570
Michigan$30,400$29,460$25,960$37,24014,340
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 Muskegon

On the average salary of $28,530, a single filer in Muskegon takes home about $23,911 a year, or $1,993 a month and $920 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 (2025 rules). Includes Muskegon's local income tax (1%).

Michigan paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Muskegon area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.5), so the average $28,530 buys what about $30,837 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Muskegon ($46,060). A typical home costs $255,271, or 8.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,530 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other Michigan cities

Muskegon ranks 11th of 12 Michigan metro areas for this job; Ann Arbor pays the most ($31,790).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in Michigan

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 Muskegon, MI.

Cooks, Fast Food salary in Muskegon: questions

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

$13.71 an hour on average, and $13.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $25,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $25,960, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $23,911 a year ($1,993 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,530. Includes Muskegon's local income tax (1%).

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

The average here is 12% 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 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI (34740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.7%.
  • 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 (2025 rules). Includes Muskegon's local income tax (1%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 2.23, this job is 2.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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