Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary — Reading, Pennsylvania

The average Fast Food and Counter Workers in Reading, Pennsylvania earns $28,670 a year.

$28,670 / year, mean
↓ 12.0% below national average 69th percentile in Pennsylvania

Reading sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within Pennsylvania — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's noticeably below the national average for fast food and counter workers, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Pennsylvania

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
4,280
Estimate confidence
RSE 1.0%
Cost of living 97 #83 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1511 #51 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $312,348 #94 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $77,684 #58 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Reading ranks #83 for cost of living and #94 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $44,980 San Francisco $44,620 Napa $44,010 Vallejo $42,760 Santa Rosa $42,640 Seattle $42,260 Salinas $41,880 Sacramento $41,850 Modesto $41,600 Santa Cruz $41,580 Oxnard $41,340 Santa Maria $41,320 Riverside $41,250 Los Angeles $41,080 Yuba City $40,980 San Diego $40,870 San Luis Obispo $40,870 Hanford $40,790 Stockton $40,770 Bakersfield $40,290 Fresno $40,110 Merced $39,970 El Centro $39,920 Visalia $39,750 Redding $39,590 Bremerton $39,510 Chico $39,470 Bellingham $39,360 Mount Vernon $39,230 Longview $38,490 Wenatchee $38,380 Kennewick $38,230 Olympia $38,230 Portland $37,830 Spokane $37,650 Yakima $37,550 New York $37,130 Walla Walla $36,960 Bend $36,590 Kiryas Joel $36,590 Kingston $36,450 Ithaca $36,430 Grants Pass $35,730 Salem $35,510 Albany $35,480 Trenton $35,120 Buffalo $35,010 Medford $35,000 Syracuse $34,880 Naples $34,840 Glens Falls $34,820 Albany $34,740 Chicago $34,690 Vineland $34,580 Binghamton $34,560 Rochester $34,520 Atlantic City $34,390 Eugene $34,340 Corvallis $34,260 Elmira $34,110 Utica $34,050 Watertown $33,990 Baltimore $33,820 Lexington Park $33,190 Springfield $33,140 Dover $33,120 Champaign $33,110 Rockford $32,890 Peoria $32,760 Decatur $32,650 Ann Arbor $32,620 Salisbury $32,480 Kankakee $32,420 Hagerstown $32,350 Bloomington $32,280 Charlottesville $32,130 Sarasota $32,010 Crestview $31,880 Philadelphia $31,880 Miami $31,770 Fort Myers $31,330 Tampa $31,210 Richmond $31,080 Port St. Lucie $31,040 Punta Gorda $31,040 Detroit $30,860 Sebastian $30,640 Traverse City $30,580 Orlando $30,520 Gainesville $30,480 Palm Bay $30,480 Virginia Beach $30,460 Staunton $30,420 Deltona $30,400 Wildwood $30,300 Harrisonburg $30,260 Lansing $30,200 Battle Creek $30,150 Austin $30,130 Kalamazoo $30,020 Winchester $29,930 Blacksburg $29,920 Jacksonville $29,920 Pensacola $29,850 Grand Rapids $29,790 Indianapolis $29,780 Niles $29,770 Allentown $29,750 Midland $29,730 Ocala $29,670 Saginaw $29,670 Kokomo $29,620 Lakeland $29,540 Panama City $29,480 Lynchburg $29,360 Dallas $29,350 Roanoke $29,210 Monroe $29,200 Flint $29,150 Lancaster $29,150 Lebanon $29,130 Muskegon $29,110 Tallahassee $29,060 Jackson $28,930 Fort Wayne $28,900 Sebring $28,890 State College $28,820 Louisville $28,750 Homosassa Springs $28,720 Reading $28,670 Bay City $28,630 Midland $28,610 Elkhart $28,590 Pittsburgh $28,520 Michigan City $28,490 Gettysburg $28,450 Harrisburg $28,450 Bloomington $28,410 Columbus $28,300 South Bend $28,130 Lafayette $28,120 York $28,070 Odessa $28,000 San Antonio $28,000 Evansville $27,890 Scranton $27,870 Lexington $27,810 Houston $27,630 Muncie $27,620 Williamsport $27,560 Chambersburg $27,410 Waco $27,320 Bowling Green $27,140 Sherman $27,090 Paducah $27,050 Beckley $26,910 Weirton $26,810 Erie $26,730 Amarillo $26,610 Terre Haute $26,570 College Station $26,560 Killeen $26,480 Elizabethtown $26,380 Longview $26,310 Altoona $26,300 Tyler $26,250 Wheeling $26,190 Beaumont $26,130 Parkersburg $26,130 Abilene $26,070 Owensboro $26,070 Morgantown $26,030 Johnstown $25,750 Wichita Falls $25,670 Corpus Christi $25,660 Victoria $25,630 Eagle Pass $25,490 Huntington $25,480 Lubbock $25,360 McAllen $25,170 San Angelo $25,130 Charleston $24,910 Brownsville $24,860 El Paso $24,860 Texarkana $24,830 Laredo $24,320
CityMean salaryvs. Reading
Abilene, Texas$26,070-9.1%
Albany, Oregon$34,740+21.2%
Albany, New York$35,480+23.8%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$29,750+3.8%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$26,300-8.3%
Amarillo, Texas$26,610-7.2%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$32,620+13.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$34,390+20.0%
Austin, Texas$30,130+5.1%
Bakersfield, California$40,290+40.5%
Baltimore, Maryland$33,820+18.0%
Battle Creek, Michigan$30,150+5.2%
Bay City, Michigan$28,630-0.1%
Beaumont, Texas$26,130-8.9%
Beckley, West Virginia$26,910-6.1%
Bellingham, Washington$39,360+37.3%
Bend, Oregon$36,590+27.6%
Binghamton, New York$34,560+20.5%
Blacksburg, Virginia$29,920+4.4%
Bloomington, Illinois$32,280+12.6%
Bloomington, Indiana$28,410-0.9%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$27,140-5.3%
Bremerton, Washington$39,510+37.8%
Brownsville, Texas$24,860-13.3%
Buffalo, New York$35,010+22.1%
Fort Myers, Florida$31,330+9.3%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$27,410-4.4%
Champaign, Illinois$33,110+15.5%
Charleston, West Virginia$24,910-13.1%
Charlottesville, Virginia$32,130+12.1%
Chicago, Illinois$34,690+21.0%
Chico, California$39,470+37.7%
College Station, Texas$26,560-7.4%
Columbus, Indiana$28,300-1.3%
Corpus Christi, Texas$25,660-10.5%
Corvallis, Oregon$34,260+19.5%
Crestview, Florida$31,880+11.2%
Dallas, Texas$29,350+2.4%
Decatur, Illinois$32,650+13.9%
Deltona, Florida$30,400+6.0%
Detroit, Michigan$30,860+7.6%
Dover, Delaware$33,120+15.5%
Eagle Pass, Texas$25,490-11.1%
El Centro, California$39,920+39.2%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$26,380-8.0%
Elkhart, Indiana$28,590-0.3%
Elmira, New York$34,110+19.0%
El Paso, Texas$24,860-13.3%
Erie, Pennsylvania$26,730-6.8%
Eugene, Oregon$34,340+19.8%
Evansville, Indiana$27,890-2.7%
Flint, Michigan$29,150+1.7%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$28,900+0.8%
Fresno, California$40,110+39.9%
Gainesville, Florida$30,480+6.3%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$28,450-0.8%
Glens Falls, New York$34,820+21.5%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$29,790+3.9%
Grants Pass, Oregon$35,730+24.6%
Hagerstown, Maryland$32,350+12.8%
Hanford, California$40,790+42.3%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$28,450-0.8%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$30,260+5.5%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$28,720+0.2%
Houston, Texas$27,630-3.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$25,480-11.1%
Indianapolis, Indiana$29,780+3.9%
Ithaca, New York$36,430+27.1%
Jackson, Michigan$28,930+0.9%
Jacksonville, Florida$29,920+4.4%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$25,750-10.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$30,020+4.7%
Kankakee, Illinois$32,420+13.1%
Kennewick, Washington$38,230+33.3%
Killeen, Texas$26,480-7.6%
Kingston, New York$36,450+27.1%
Kiryas Joel, New York$36,590+27.6%
Kokomo, Indiana$29,620+3.3%
Lafayette, Indiana$28,120-1.9%
Lakeland, Florida$29,540+3.0%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$29,150+1.7%
Lansing, Michigan$30,200+5.3%
Laredo, Texas$24,320-15.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$29,130+1.6%
Lexington, Kentucky$27,810-3.0%
Lexington Park, Maryland$33,190+15.8%
Longview, Texas$26,310-8.2%
Longview, Washington$38,490+34.3%
Los Angeles, California$41,080+43.3%
Louisville, Kentucky$28,750+0.3%
Lubbock, Texas$25,360-11.5%
Lynchburg, Virginia$29,360+2.4%
McAllen, Texas$25,170-12.2%
Medford, Oregon$35,000+22.1%
Merced, California$39,970+39.4%
Miami, Florida$31,770+10.8%
Michigan City, Indiana$28,490-0.6%
Midland, Michigan$29,730+3.7%
Midland, Texas$28,610-0.2%
Modesto, California$41,600+45.1%
Monroe, Michigan$29,200+1.8%
Morgantown, West Virginia$26,030-9.2%
Mount Vernon, Washington$39,230+36.8%
Muncie, Indiana$27,620-3.7%
Muskegon, Michigan$29,110+1.5%
Napa, California$44,010+53.5%
Naples, Florida$34,840+21.5%
New York, New York$37,130+29.5%
Niles, Michigan$29,770+3.8%
Sarasota, Florida$32,010+11.6%
Ocala, Florida$29,670+3.5%
Odessa, Texas$28,000-2.3%
Olympia, Washington$38,230+33.3%
Orlando, Florida$30,520+6.5%
Owensboro, Kentucky$26,070-9.1%
Oxnard, California$41,340+44.2%
Paducah, Kentucky$27,050-5.7%
Palm Bay, Florida$30,480+6.3%
Panama City, Florida$29,480+2.8%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$26,130-8.9%
Pensacola, Florida$29,850+4.1%
Peoria, Illinois$32,760+14.3%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$31,880+11.2%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$28,520-0.5%
Portland, Oregon$37,830+31.9%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$31,040+8.3%
Punta Gorda, Florida$31,040+8.3%
Redding, California$39,590+38.1%
Richmond, Virginia$31,080+8.4%
Riverside, California$41,250+43.9%
Roanoke, Virginia$29,210+1.9%
Rochester, New York$34,520+20.4%
Rockford, Illinois$32,890+14.7%
Sacramento, California$41,850+46.0%
Saginaw, Michigan$29,670+3.5%
Salem, Oregon$35,510+23.9%
Salinas, California$41,880+46.1%
Salisbury, Maryland$32,480+13.3%
San Angelo, Texas$25,130-12.3%
San Antonio, Texas$28,000-2.3%
San Diego, California$40,870+42.6%
San Francisco, California$44,620+55.6%
San Jose, California$44,980+56.9%
San Luis Obispo, California$40,870+42.6%
Santa Cruz, California$41,580+45.0%
Santa Maria, California$41,320+44.1%
Santa Rosa, California$42,640+48.7%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$27,870-2.8%
Seattle, Washington$42,260+47.4%
Sebastian, Florida$30,640+6.9%
Sebring, Florida$28,890+0.8%
Sherman, Texas$27,090-5.5%
South Bend, Indiana$28,130-1.9%
Spokane, Washington$37,650+31.3%
Springfield, Illinois$33,140+15.6%
State College, Pennsylvania$28,820+0.5%
Staunton, Virginia$30,420+6.1%
Stockton, California$40,770+42.2%
Syracuse, New York$34,880+21.7%
Tallahassee, Florida$29,060+1.4%
Tampa, Florida$31,210+8.9%
Terre Haute, Indiana$26,570-7.3%
Texarkana, Texas$24,830-13.4%
Traverse City, Michigan$30,580+6.7%
Trenton, New Jersey$35,120+22.5%
Tyler, Texas$26,250-8.4%
Utica, New York$34,050+18.8%
Vallejo, California$42,760+49.1%
Victoria, Texas$25,630-10.6%
Vineland, New Jersey$34,580+20.6%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$30,460+6.2%
Visalia, California$39,750+38.6%
Waco, Texas$27,320-4.7%
Walla Walla, Washington$36,960+28.9%
Watertown, New York$33,990+18.6%
Weirton, West Virginia$26,810-6.5%
Wenatchee, Washington$38,380+33.9%
Wheeling, West Virginia$26,190-8.7%
Wichita Falls, Texas$25,670-10.5%
Wildwood, Florida$30,300+5.7%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$27,560-3.9%
Winchester, Virginia$29,930+4.4%
Yakima, Washington$37,550+31.0%
York, Pennsylvania$28,070-2.1%
Yuba City, California$40,980+42.9%
Gross salary
28,670/yr
Estimated take-home
24,336/yr
Est. total withheld
15.1%

Single filer, federal + Pennsylvania state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Pennsylvania → All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 35-3023 SOC code
Official area Reading, PA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 39740 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: pa_dor_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Pennsylvania

Population (metro area)
429,989