National Salary Info » Fast Food and Counter Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Fast Food and Counter Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for fast food and counter workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $48,390, rail transportation is the highest paying industry for fast food and counter workers. It is followed by elementary and secondary schools - state government owned industry (average annual salary $33,940). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of fast food and counter workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Fast Food and Counter Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Rail Transportation	$48,390	$21,190	170
2	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$33,940	$20,430	430
3	Federal government, including USPS	$31,340	$20,840	8,050
4	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$31,340	$20,840	8,050
5	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$28,640	$21,590	520
6	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land	$26,910	$17,210	40
7	Hospitals - State government owned	$26,660	$17,830	1,920
8	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$26,640	$17,570	1,150
9	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$26,340	$19,110	40
10	Junior colleges - State government owned	$26,300	$17,120	340
11	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$26,190	$18,620	40
12	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$26,090	$19,270	3,740
13	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$25,630	$17,540	22,510
14	Federal, State, and Local Government	$25,630	$17,540	22,510
15	Other General Merchandise Stores	$25,520	$17,810	22,850
16	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$25,490	$17,390	1,380
17	Legal Services	$24,630	$16,870	50
18	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$23,930	$17,640	330
19	State government, including schools and hospitals	$23,910	$17,390	14,140
20	Air Transportation	$23,500	$17,740	50
21	Scheduled Air Transportation	$23,370	$17,920	40
22	Other Personal Services	$22,840	$17,920	150
23	Insurance Carriers	$22,810	$18,190	120
24	Casino Hotels	$22,770	$16,790	3,980
25	Furniture Stores	$22,740	$18,390	610
26	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$22,630	$17,260	17,040
27	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$22,550	$16,990	570
28	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$22,470	$17,270	15,080
29	Hospitals - Privately owned	$22,410	$17,300	13,630
30	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$22,400	$17,300	13,070
31	Offices of Physicians	$22,340	$17,380	410
32	Transportation and Warehousing	$22,160	$16,910	860
33	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	$22,150	$18,720	n/a
34	Facilities Support Services	$22,120	$17,280	n/a
35	Educational Services - State government owned	$22,090	$17,080	8,480
36	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$22,050	$16,750	1,260
37	General Merchandise Stores	$22,040	$16,990	40,570
38	Water Transportation	$21,980	$17,270	70
39	Oil and Gas Extraction	$21,730	$16,270	40
40	Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services	$21,480	$16,680	1,480
41	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$21,410	$16,830	198,090
42	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$21,380	$16,610	1,490
43	Hospitals - Local government owned	$21,380	$16,610	1,490
44	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$21,380	$17,040	7,690
45	Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities	$21,360	$17,170	340
46	Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers	$21,310	$16,890	180
47	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$21,300	$17,010	12,890
48	Animal Slaughtering and Processing	$21,240	$17,190	180
49	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$21,150	$17,380	150
50	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$21,100	$16,950	5,120
51	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$21,080	$17,090	350
52	Personal and Laundry Services	$21,070	$16,870	350
53	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$21,060	$17,270	70
54	Educational Services	$21,020	$16,780	181,320
55	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$21,010	$16,750	159,820
56	Educational Services - Local government owned	$21,010	$16,750	160,870
57	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$21,000	$16,760	165,980
58	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$20,970	$16,750	175,900
59	Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores	$20,900	$17,340	1,190
60	Investigation, Guard, and Armored Car Services	$20,850	$16,280	50
61	Investigation and Security Services	$20,850	$16,280	50
62	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$20,840	$17,050	230
63	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$20,820	$16,730	10,720
64	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	$20,820	$16,200	60
65	Other schools and instruction - Privately owned	$20,770	$16,870	930
66	Other Schools and Instruction	$20,750	$16,870	940
67	Finance and Insurance	$20,740	$17,250	190
68	Mining	$20,720	$16,200	60
69	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$20,700	$17,090	870
70	Grocery Stores	$20,670	$16,910	136,080
71	Educational Services - Privately owned	$20,630	$16,900	11,970
72	Technical and Trade Schools	$20,520	$16,750	160
73	Health Care and Social Assistance	$20,480	$16,770	53,710
74	Social Advocacy Organizations	$20,420	$16,540	120
75	Religious Organizations	$20,230	$16,800	240
76	Food and Beverage Stores	$20,220	$16,890	159,940
77	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$20,200	$16,600	250
78	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$20,160	$16,870	5,730
79	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities	$19,960	$16,820	840
80	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$19,940	$16,680	920
81	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$19,920	$16,660	17,620
82	Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation	$19,920	$16,710	n/a
83	Personal Care Services	$19,890	$17,140	100
84	Technical and trade schools - Privately owned	$19,790	$16,690	120
85	Retail Trade	$19,790	$16,740	251,490
86	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$19,750	$16,800	n/a
87	Construction	$19,710	$16,140	40
88	Traveler Accommodation	$19,700	$16,700	25,770
89	Accommodation	$19,650	$16,690	26,620
90	Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$19,630	$16,510	80
91	Rooming and Boarding Houses	$19,580	$16,470	140
92	Health and Personal Care Stores	$19,560	$16,410	1,770
93	Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Stores	$19,550	$16,600	630
94	Other Residential Care Facilities	$19,540	$16,530	250
95	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$19,540	$16,640	29,480
96	Beer, Wine, and Liquor Stores	$19,540	$17,090	710
97	Sporting Goods Stores	$19,450	$16,580	610
98	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	$19,340	$17,210	210
99	Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	$19,340	$16,210	150
100	Miscellaneous Manufacturing	$19,340	$16,210	150