SOC 35-2011 · Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Scranton, PA

The average salary for cooks, fast food in Scranton, Pennsylvania is $29,380 a year ($14.12 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,840: half of the 340 people in this job in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($33,261).

$29,380average per year

$14.12 / hourMedian $27,840Take-home ≈ $24,885

  • $22K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

340people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#8 of 11Pennsylvania metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Scranton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,420 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,130 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Scranton earn between $25,990 and $34,330.

  • $22K10th
  • $26K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $37K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,380$2,448$14.12
Median$27,840$2,320$13.38
Entry level (25th percentile)$25,990$2,166$12.50
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,330$2,861$16.50

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

Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Scranton

On the average salary of $29,380, a single filer in Scranton takes home about $24,885 a year, or $2,074 a month and $957 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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

Prices in the Scranton area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.6), so the average $29,380 buys what about $31,404 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Scranton ($46,330). A typical home costs $227,793, or 7.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,380 is worth in another city

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Scranton ranks 8th of 11 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($34,630).

All Cooks, Fast Food salaries in Pennsylvania

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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Cooks, Fast Food salary in Scranton: questions

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

$14.12 an hour on average, and $13.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,420 a year and the 25th percentile is $25,990, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,885 a year ($2,074 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,380. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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

The average here is 12% less 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.6%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.32, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.32).

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