SOC 35-3023 · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Allentown, PA

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Allentown, Pennsylvania is $29,750 a year ($14.30 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $29,090: half of the 9,110 people in this job in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 7% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$29,750average per year

$14.30 / hourMedian $29,090Take-home ≈ $25,171

  • $22K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $36K90th

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

9,110people in this job
-7%vs U.S. average
#2 of 16Pennsylvania metros
100cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Allentown

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,320 a year or less, while the top 10% make $36,200 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Allentown earn between $27,680 and $32,990.

  • $22K10th
  • $28K25th
  • $29KMedian
  • $33K75th
  • $36K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$29,750$2,479$14.30
Median$29,090$2,424$13.99
Entry level (25th percentile)$27,680$2,307$13.31
Experienced (75th percentile)$32,990$2,749$15.86

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Allentown vs. Pennsylvania and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Allentown earn about the same as the Pennsylvania average ($28,930) and 7% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -7% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Allentown$29,750$29,090$22,320$36,2009,110
Pennsylvania$28,930$28,570$22,030$35,880142,220
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 Allentown

On the average salary of $29,750, a single filer in Allentown takes home about $25,171 a year, or $2,098 a month and $968 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in NJ$25,651$2,138
Working in PA$25,171$2,098

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.

Pennsylvania paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Allentown area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.0), so the average $29,750 buys what about $29,760 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Allentown ($48,990). A typical home costs $363,989, or 12.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $29,750 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Allentown ranks 2nd of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($31,880).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Pennsylvania

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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Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Allentown: questions

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

$14.30 an hour on average, and $13.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,320 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,680, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $25,171 a year ($2,098 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $29,750. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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

The average here is 7% 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 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ (10900). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.97, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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