Pay distribution $18,720 10th $20,580 25th $23,510 75th $28,720 90th
Half of Cooks, Fast Food in the Jackson metro area earn more than $22,310 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $20,580 and $23,510.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $18,720 $20,580 $22,310 $23,510 $28,720 Hourly $9.00 $9.90 $10.73 $11.30 $13.81
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares Jackson metro areathis metro area
$22,310 median for Jackson metro area; middle half earns $20,580 to $23,510
$22,670 median for Mississippi; middle half earns $21,350 to $26,750
$30,890 median for United States; middle half earns $27,260 to $37,260
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is −2% vs Mississippi overall and −28% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $21,930 $30,360 $38,790 $47,220 Mayaguez, PR — $21,930 Guayama, PR — $22,260 Owensboro, KY — $22,260 Jackson, MS — $22,310 Ponce, PR — $22,330 Beckley, WV — $22,370 Goldsboro, NC — $22,510 Albany, GA — $22,550 Toledo, OH — $22,560 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $22,610 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $22,680 Aguadilla, PR — $22,780 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $22,780 Arecibo, PR — $22,840 Columbia, SC — $22,880 Jacksonville, NC — $22,900 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $23,090 Wheeling, WV-OH — $23,110 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $23,140 Charleston, WV — $23,180 Florence, SC — $23,310 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $23,410 Fayetteville, NC — $23,430 Bowling Green, KY — $23,450 Hattiesburg, MS — $23,470 Greenville, NC — $23,600 Valdosta, GA — $23,640 Rocky Mount, NC — $23,710 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $23,710 Elizabethtown, KY — $23,870 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $23,930 Sumter, SC — $23,980 Alexandria, LA — $24,170 El Paso, TX — $24,390 Texarkana, TX-AR — $24,500 San Angelo, TX — $24,960 Altoona, PA — $25,020 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $25,050 Columbus, OH — $25,290 Lubbock, TX — $25,500 Wichita, KS — $25,580 Lawton, OK — $25,600 Enid, OK — $25,730 Abilene, TX — $25,780 Gadsden, AL — $25,900 Springfield, OH — $25,980 Dothan, AL — $26,020 Amarillo, TX — $26,100 Lima, OH — $26,210 Akron, OH — $26,270 Canton-Massillon, OH — $26,300 Gettysburg, PA — $26,350 Mansfield, OH — $26,360 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $26,410 Clarksville, TN-KY — $26,420 Jackson, TN — $26,430 Johnson City, TN — $26,430 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $26,480 Chambersburg, PA — $26,550 Columbus, GA-AL — $26,560 Jonesboro, AR — $26,580 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $26,610 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $26,610 Pittsburgh, PA — $26,620 Sherman-Denison, TX — $26,660 Topeka, KS — $26,680 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $26,740 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $26,750 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $26,780 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $26,820 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $26,840 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $26,890 Warner Robins, GA — $26,920 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $26,930 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $26,940 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $26,950 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $26,990 Ocala, FL — $27,040 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $27,070 Midland, MI — $27,090 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $27,100 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $27,120 Monroe, MI — $27,120 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $27,230 Lancaster, PA — $27,260 Winston-Salem, NC — $27,280 Morristown, TN — $27,310 Burlington, NC — $27,450 Waco, TX — $27,470 Wilmington, NC — $27,500 Odessa, TX — $27,520 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $27,550 Knoxville, TN — $27,580 Jacksonville, FL — $27,600 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $27,620 Montgomery, AL — $27,650 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $27,690 Mobile, AL — $27,700 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $27,710 Terre Haute, IN — $27,800 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $27,840 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $27,880 Gainesville, GA — $27,890 Oklahoma City, OK — $27,990 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $28,000 Spartanburg, SC — $28,030 Tuscaloosa, AL — $28,030 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $28,070 Tulsa, OK — $28,100 Asheville, NC — $28,120 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $28,120 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $28,210 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $28,220 Niles, MI — $28,240 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $28,290 Birmingham, AL — $28,320 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $28,380 Las Cruces, NM — $28,390 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $28,390 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $28,400 Port St. Lucie, FL — $28,410 Winchester, VA-WV — $28,430 Decatur, AL — $28,480 Flint, MI — $28,510 York-Hanover, PA — $28,520 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $28,580 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $28,590 Jefferson City, MO — $28,600 Joplin, MO-KS — $28,600 Harrisonburg, VA — $28,680 Eau Claire, WI — $28,700 Farmington, NM — $28,730 Green Bay, WI — $28,740 Traverse City, MI — $28,740 Fond du Lac, WI — $28,750 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $28,760 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $28,810 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $28,820 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $28,820 Bozeman, MT — $28,840 Ogden, UT — $28,870 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $28,910 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $28,930 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $28,930 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $28,980 Longview, TX — $28,990 Killeen-Temple, TX — $29,020 State College, PA — $29,020 Cedar Rapids, IA — $29,040 Appleton, WI — $29,050 Kenosha, WI — $29,100 Columbia, MO — $29,110 Cleveland, OH — $29,120 Urban Honolulu, HI — $29,120 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $29,160 Roanoke, VA — $29,160 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $29,190 Springfield, MO — $29,190 Iowa City, IA — $29,200 Corpus Christi, TX — $29,230 Bloomington, IN — $29,290 Lynchburg, VA — $29,290 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $29,300 Huntsville, AL — $29,310 Lincoln, NE — $29,430 Jackson, MI — $29,460 Cheyenne, WY — $29,470 Dubuque, IA — $29,500 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $29,540 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $29,540 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $29,550 Richmond, VA — $29,570 Wausau, WI — $29,600 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $29,620 Madison, WI — $29,640 Ann Arbor, MI — $29,690 Lawrence, KS — $29,700 Fargo, ND-MN — $29,710 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $29,810 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $29,930 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $29,940 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $29,940 Grand Island, NE — $29,970 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $30,010 Minot, ND — $30,030 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $30,110 Idaho Falls, ID — $30,170 Kansas City, MO-KS — $30,170 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $30,300 Pocatello, ID — $30,320 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $30,360 Reno, NV — $30,410 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $30,460 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $30,500 Logan, UT-ID — $30,500 Albuquerque, NM — $30,720 Duluth, MN-WI — $30,790 Tucson, AZ — $30,830 St. Louis, MO-IL — $30,860 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $30,990 St. Cloud, MN — $31,010 Rapid City, SD — $31,190 Dover, DE — $31,200 Salisbury, MD — $31,200 Omaha, NE-IA — $31,220 Midland, TX — $31,240 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $31,410 Bloomington, IL — $31,430 St. George, UT — $31,800 Lexington Park, MD — $31,840 Kankakee, IL — $31,900 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $32,220 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $32,240 Peoria, IL — $32,340 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $32,380 Boise City, ID — $32,810 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $32,840 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $32,900 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $32,970 Rochester, MN — $33,090 Utica-Rome, NY — $33,100 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $33,190 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $33,290 Rochester, NY — $33,380 Rockford, IL — $33,380 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $33,690 Salem, OR — $33,870 Flagstaff, AZ — $33,950 Anchorage, AK — $33,960 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $33,960 Charlottesville, VA — $33,970 Grand Junction, CO — $33,980 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $34,160 Pueblo, CO — $34,180 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $34,180 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $34,210 Lewiston, ID-WA — $34,270 Binghamton, NY — $34,290 Syracuse, NY — $34,490 Bangor, ME — $34,560 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $34,700 New Haven, CT — $34,850 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $34,880 Corvallis, OR — $34,990 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $35,230 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $35,260 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $35,360 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $35,470 Glens Falls, NY — $35,490 Springfield, MA — $35,490 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $35,550 Bend, OR — $35,600 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $35,780 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $35,800 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $35,810 Greeley, CO — $35,840 Boulder, CO — $36,250 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $36,260 Portland-South Portland, ME — $36,310 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $36,350 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $36,380 Longview-Kelso, WA — $36,550 Colorado Springs, CO — $36,560 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $36,600 Yakima, WA — $36,710 Worcester, MA — $36,770 Fairbanks-College, AK — $37,010 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $37,030 Kingston, NY — $37,150 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $37,850 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $37,910 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $38,000 Santa Fe, NM — $38,000 Carson City, NV — $38,210 Bellingham, WA — $38,480 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $38,530 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $38,550 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $38,560 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $38,580 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $38,690 Missoula, MT — $39,080 Barnstable Town, MA — $39,340 Fresno, CA — $39,620 Visalia, CA — $39,750 Redding, CA — $39,920 El Centro, CA — $40,230 Chico, CA — $40,340 Merced, CA — $40,430 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $41,280 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $41,480 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $41,600 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $41,600 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $42,210 Yuba City, CA — $42,320 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $42,390 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $42,450 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $42,480 Modesto, CA — $42,510 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $42,530 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $42,700 Salinas, CA — $43,120 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $43,630 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $43,840 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $44,030 Vallejo, CA — $44,450 Napa, CA — $45,300 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $46,670 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $47,220 Jackson metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The Jackson metro area has the 305th-highest published median for this occupation among the 308 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in Mississippi Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for cooks, fast food, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Jackson metro areathis page
$22,310 median for Jackson metro area; middle half earns $20,580 to $23,510
$23,470 median for Hattiesburg metro area; middle half earns $21,240 to $26,720
$23,410 median for Gulfport metro area; middle half earns $21,910 to $27,510
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .