SOC 35-3023 · Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Waterbury, CT

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Waterbury, Connecticut is $35,600 a year ($17.12 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $34,850: half of the 3,860 people in this job in the Waterbury-Shelton, CT metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$35,600average per year

$17.12 / hourMedian $34,850Take-home ≈ $29,932

  • $34K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $37K90th

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

3,860people in this job
+11%vs U.S. average
#5 of 5Connecticut metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Waterbury

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,670 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Waterbury earn between $34,100 and $35,660.

  • $34K10th
  • $34K25th
  • $35KMedian
  • $36K75th
  • $37K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$35,600$2,967$17.12
Median$34,850$2,904$16.75
Entry level (25th percentile)$34,100$2,842$16.39
Experienced (75th percentile)$35,660$2,972$17.14

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Waterbury vs. Connecticut and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Waterbury earn about the same as the Connecticut average ($36,330) and 11% more than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is +12% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Waterbury$35,600$34,850$34,010$36,6703,860
Connecticut$36,330$35,380$34,010$39,66035,720
United States$32,150$31,200$22,840$42,6503,854,050

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary after taxes in Waterbury

On the average salary of $35,600, a single filer in Waterbury takes home about $29,932 a year, or $2,494 a month and $1,151 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). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

Connecticut paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Waterbury a good place for fast food and counter workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Waterbury area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 99.8), so the average $35,600 buys what about $35,679 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Waterbury ($51,440). A typical home costs $290,800, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $35,600 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Connecticut cities

Waterbury ranks 5th of 5 Connecticut metro areas for this job; Bridgeport pays the most ($37,480).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Connecticut

Highest-paying cities for fast food and counter workers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($44,980).

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Fast Food and Counter Workers in Waterbury, CT.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Waterbury: questions

How much do fast food and counter workers make an hour in Waterbury?

$17.12 an hour on average, and $16.76 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level fast food and counter workers salary in Waterbury?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,010 a year and the 25th percentile is $34,100, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the fast food and counter workers take-home pay in Waterbury?

About $29,932 a year ($2,494 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $35,600. Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).

Do fast food and counter workers earn more in Waterbury than elsewhere?

The average here is 11% more than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

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 35-3023; area Waterbury-Shelton, CT (47930). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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: Census median home value (Zillow does not cover this metro). 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). Connecticut tax is computed with the Department of Revenue Services' 2026 withholding rules (exemption, credit and recapture tables).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.97, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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