SOC 35-3023 · Burlington, NC metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Burlington, NC

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Burlington, North Carolina is $28,610 a year ($13.76 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $27,710: half of the 1,480 people in this job in the Burlington, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 11% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$28,610average per year

$13.76 / hourMedian $27,710Take-home ≈ $24,535

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

1,480people in this job
-11%vs U.S. average
#6 of 15North Carolina metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Burlington

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,010 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Burlington earn between $23,250 and $34,020.

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,610$2,384$13.75
Median$27,710$2,309$13.32
Entry level (25th percentile)$23,250$1,938$11.18
Experienced (75th percentile)$34,020$2,835$16.36

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Burlington vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Burlington earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($29,050) and 11% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -11% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Burlington$28,610$27,710$21,600$36,0101,480
North Carolina$29,050$28,570$21,800$36,82092,230
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 Burlington

On the average salary of $28,610, a single filer in Burlington takes home about $24,535 a year, or $2,045 a month and $944 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% 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

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

Prices in the Burlington area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.2), so the average $28,610 buys what about $30,699 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Burlington ($44,010). A typical home costs $298,353, or 10.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,610 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other North Carolina cities

Burlington ranks 6th of 15 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Durham pays the most ($30,280).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in North Carolina

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 Burlington, NC.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Burlington: questions

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

$13.76 an hour on average, and $13.32 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $23,250, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $24,535 a year ($2,045 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,610.

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

The average here is 11% 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 Burlington, NC (15500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • 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 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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