SOC 35-2011 · Goldsboro, NC metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Goldsboro, NC

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Goldsboro, North Carolina is $24,210 a year ($11.64 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $22,510: half of the 1,110 people in this job in the Goldsboro, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).

$24,210average per year

$11.64 / hourMedian $22,510Take-home ≈ $21,090

  • $19K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $23KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $29K90th

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

1,110people in this job
-25%vs U.S. average
#15 of 15North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Goldsboro

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,930 a year or less, while the top 10% make $28,900 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Goldsboro earn between $21,390 and $27,630.

  • $19K10th
  • $21K25th
  • $23KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $29K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$24,210$2,018$11.64
Median$22,510$1,876$10.82
Entry level (25th percentile)$21,390$1,782$10.28
Experienced (75th percentile)$27,630$2,302$13.28

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

Cooks, Fast Food pay in Goldsboro vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Cooks, fast food in Goldsboro earn 11% less than the North Carolina average ($27,080) and 25% less than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is -27% against the U.S. median of $30,890.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Goldsboro$24,210$22,510$18,930$28,9001,110
North Carolina$27,080$27,190$21,890$34,86081,980
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 Goldsboro

On the average salary of $24,210, a single filer in Goldsboro takes home about $21,090 a year, or $1,757 a month and $811 every two weeks. Taxes take 13% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

Advertisement

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

Prices in the Goldsboro area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $24,210 buys what about $27,368 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Goldsboro ($40,570). A typical home costs $188,523, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $24,210 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other North Carolina cities

Goldsboro ranks 15th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($29,290).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in North Carolina

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

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Cooks, Fast Food in Goldsboro, NC.

Cooks, Fast Food salary in Goldsboro: questions

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

$11.64 an hour on average, and $10.82 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $18,930 a year and the 25th percentile is $21,390, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $21,090 a year ($1,757 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $24,210.

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

The average here is 25% 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 Goldsboro, NC (24140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.4%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 6.66, this job is 6.7 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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