SOC 35-3023 · Fort Wayne, IN metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Fort Wayne, IN

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Fort Wayne, Indiana is $28,900 a year ($13.89 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,360: half of the 6,900 people in this job in the Fort Wayne, IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$28,900average per year

$13.89 / hourMedian $28,360Take-home ≈ $24,121

  • $22K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

6,900people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#3 of 12Indiana metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Fort Wayne

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,600 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Fort Wayne earn between $24,160 and $33,770.

  • $22K10th
  • $24K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,900$2,408$13.89
Median$28,360$2,363$13.63
Entry level (25th percentile)$24,160$2,013$11.62
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,770$2,814$16.24

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Fort Wayne vs. Indiana and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Fort Wayne earn about the same as the Indiana average ($28,980) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Fort Wayne$28,900$28,360$22,160$35,6006,900
Indiana$28,980$28,790$22,110$35,82097,290
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 Fort Wayne

On the average salary of $28,900, a single filer in Fort Wayne takes home about $24,121 a year, or $2,010 a month and $928 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).

Indiana paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Fort Wayne area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $28,900 buys what about $31,219 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Fort Wayne ($47,700). A typical home costs $259,816, or 9.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,900 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Indiana cities

Fort Wayne ranks 3rd of 12 Indiana metro areas for this job; Indianapolis pays the most ($29,780).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Indiana

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 Fort Wayne, IN.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Fort Wayne: questions

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

$13.89 an hour on average, and $13.63 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $24,160, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,121 a year ($2,010 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,900. Includes Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).

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

The average here is 10% less 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 Fort Wayne, IN (23060). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
  • 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 Fort Wayne's local income tax (1.59%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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