Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Reading
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,130 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,790 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Reading earn between $26,270 and $30,110.
- $22K10th
- $26K25th
- $28KMedian
- $30K75th
- $36K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $28,670 | $2,389 | $13.78 |
| Median | $28,090 | $2,341 | $13.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $26,270 | $2,189 | $12.63 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $30,110 | $2,509 | $14.48 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary after taxes in Reading
On the average salary of $28,670, a single filer in Reading takes home about $24,336 a year, or $2,028 a month and $936 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.
Is Reading a good place for fast food and counter workers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Reading area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.1), so the average $28,670 buys what about $29,538 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Reading ($49,440). A typical home costs $312,348, or 10.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Reading ranks 6th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($31,880).
- Philadelphia$31,880
- Allentown$29,750
- Lancaster$29,150
- Lebanon$29,130
- State College$28,820
- Reading$28,670
- Pittsburgh$28,520
- Gettysburg$28,450
- Harrisburg$28,450
- York$28,070
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).
- San Jose, CA$44,980
- San Francisco, CA$44,620
- Napa, CA$44,010
- Vallejo, CA$42,760
- Santa Rosa, CA$42,640
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Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Reading: questions
How much do fast food and counter workers make an hour in Reading?
$13.78 an hour on average, and $13.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level fast food and counter workers salary in Reading?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,130 a year and the 25th percentile is $26,270, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the fast food and counter workers take-home pay in Reading?
About $24,336 a year ($2,028 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,670. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do fast food and counter workers earn more in Reading than elsewhere?
The average here is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($32,571).
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 Reading, PA (39740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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