Pay distribution $35,270 10th $36,690 25th $44,440 75th $47,030 90th
Half of Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Modesto metro area earn more than $42,630 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $36,690 and $44,440.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $35,270 $36,690 $42,630 $44,440 $47,030 Hourly $16.96 $17.64 $20.50 $21.36 $22.61
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 Modesto metro areathis metro area
$42,630 median for Modesto metro area; middle half earns $36,690 to $44,440
$42,280 median for California; middle half earns $36,790 to $44,970
$31,200 median for United States; middle half earns $27,700 to $36,070
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +1% vs California overall and +37% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $21,550 $29,503 $37,457 $45,410 Monroe, LA — $21,550 Alexandria, LA — $21,760 Arecibo, PR — $21,840 Mayaguez, PR — $21,840 Ponce, PR — $21,840 Guayama, PR — $21,920 Aguadilla, PR — $21,940 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $22,130 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $22,280 Lafayette, LA — $22,320 Hammond, LA — $22,350 Dothan, AL — $22,360 Charleston, WV — $22,380 Lawton, OK — $22,430 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $22,460 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $22,500 Lake Charles, LA — $22,500 Hattiesburg, MS — $22,550 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $22,590 Jackson, MS — $22,630 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $22,650 Gadsden, AL — $22,770 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $22,790 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $22,820 Albany, GA — $22,830 Texarkana, TX-AR — $22,880 Montgomery, AL — $22,960 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $23,000 Enid, OK — $23,020 El Paso, TX — $23,030 Laredo, TX — $23,030 Valdosta, GA — $23,100 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $23,260 Columbus, GA-AL — $23,300 Hot Springs, AR — $23,350 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $23,380 Dalton, GA — $23,400 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $23,500 Mobile, AL — $23,510 Baton Rouge, LA — $23,650 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $23,760 San Angelo, TX — $23,850 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $24,220 Morgantown, WV — $24,230 Sumter, SC — $24,510 Victoria, TX — $24,510 Eagle Pass, TX — $24,570 Florence, SC — $24,590 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $24,600 Tuscaloosa, AL — $24,630 Johnstown, PA — $24,750 Oklahoma City, OK — $24,960 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $25,000 Hinesville, GA — $25,210 Lubbock, TX — $25,250 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $25,470 Wichita Falls, TX — $25,540 Corpus Christi, TX — $25,630 Decatur, AL — $25,720 Beckley, WV — $25,950 Altoona, PA — $26,090 Cleveland, TN — $26,140 Wheeling, WV-OH — $26,150 Jonesboro, AR — $26,260 Johnson City, TN — $26,270 Abilene, TX — $26,310 Jackson, TN — $26,360 Tyler, TX — $26,370 Tulsa, OK — $26,460 Killeen-Temple, TX — $26,530 Morristown, TN — $26,530 Erie, PA — $26,540 Warner Robins, GA — $26,610 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $26,620 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $26,630 Gainesville, GA — $26,690 Longview, TX — $26,730 Owensboro, KY — $26,750 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $26,770 Mansfield, OH — $26,790 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $26,820 Rocky Mount, NC — $26,850 Amarillo, TX — $26,880 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $26,890 Rome, GA — $26,890 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $26,950 Clarksville, TN-KY — $26,990 Birmingham, AL — $27,020 Terre Haute, IN — $27,020 Manhattan, KS — $27,130 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $27,140 Columbia, SC — $27,170 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $27,170 Huntsville, AL — $27,180 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $27,200 Homosassa Springs, FL — $27,240 Elizabethtown, KY — $27,260 Lima, OH — $27,320 Jacksonville, NC — $27,330 Sherman-Denison, TX — $27,340 Jackson, MI — $27,390 Spartanburg, SC — $27,390 Williamsport, PA — $27,400 College Station-Bryan, TX — $27,420 Farmington, NM — $27,420 Wichita, KS — $27,420 Savannah, GA — $27,460 Wilmington, NC — $27,460 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $27,470 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $27,490 Springfield, OH — $27,490 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $27,520 Chambersburg, PA — $27,550 Las Cruces, NM — $27,560 Muncie, IN — $27,560 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $27,570 Toledo, OH — $27,570 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $27,580 Gettysburg, PA — $27,590 Sandusky, OH — $27,590 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $27,600 Tallahassee, FL — $27,600 Paducah, KY-IL — $27,640 Bowling Green, KY — $27,650 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $27,680 Burlington, NC — $27,710 Knoxville, TN — $27,720 Roanoke, VA — $27,720 Niles, MI — $27,740 Waco, TX — $27,750 Canton-Massillon, OH — $27,760 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $27,780 Sebring, FL — $27,790 State College, PA — $27,790 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $27,810 Topeka, KS — $27,810 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $27,820 Wausau, WI — $27,830 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $27,850 Ocala, FL — $27,880 York-Hanover, PA — $27,920 Evansville, IN — $27,930 Monroe, MI — $27,950 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $27,990 Greenville, NC — $28,000 Logan, UT-ID — $28,010 Ogden, UT — $28,030 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $28,050 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $28,050 Bay City, MI — $28,060 Casper, WY — $28,070 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $28,070 Eau Claire, WI — $28,070 Goldsboro, NC — $28,070 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $28,070 Reading, PA — $28,090 Battle Creek, MI — $28,100 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $28,140 Fayetteville, NC — $28,170 Fond du Lac, WI — $28,180 Great Falls, MT — $28,200 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $28,200 Lebanon, PA — $28,200 Lynchburg, VA — $28,220 Bloomington, IN — $28,230 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $28,230 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $28,240 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $28,250 Pittsburgh, PA — $28,250 St. George, UT — $28,270 Cedar Rapids, IA — $28,280 Gainesville, FL — $28,280 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $28,280 Saginaw, MI — $28,280 Columbus, IN — $28,290 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $28,290 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $28,300 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $28,300 Lawrence, KS — $28,320 Flint, MI — $28,330 Helena, MT — $28,330 Fort Wayne, IN — $28,360 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $28,360 Winchester, VA-WV — $28,360 Odessa, TX — $28,390 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $28,440 Jacksonville, FL — $28,470 Midland, MI — $28,480 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $28,500 Lincoln, NE — $28,510 Traverse City, MI — $28,560 Lancaster, PA — $28,580 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $28,610 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $28,620 Green Bay, WI — $28,640 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $28,640 Winston-Salem, NC — $28,640 Midland, TX — $28,650 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $28,660 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $28,660 Columbus, OH — $28,670 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $28,670 Dubuque, IA — $28,680 Idaho Falls, ID — $28,680 Akron, OH — $28,690 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $28,690 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $28,710 Cheyenne, WY — $28,720 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $28,720 Joplin, MO-KS — $28,730 Cleveland, OH — $28,750 Iowa City, IA — $28,760 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $28,780 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $28,790 Asheville, NC — $28,810 Twin Falls, ID — $28,810 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $28,810 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $28,850 Pocatello, ID — $28,870 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $28,880 Appleton, WI — $29,010 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $29,040 Kenosha, WI — $29,070 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $29,070 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $29,080 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $29,090 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $29,090 Punta Gorda, FL — $29,100 Billings, MT — $29,130 Kokomo, IN — $29,130 Port St. Lucie, FL — $29,130 Albuquerque, NM — $29,140 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $29,140 Grand Island, NE — $29,150 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $29,150 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $29,170 Sheboygan, WI — $29,210 Ames, IA — $29,220 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $29,220 Harrisonburg, VA — $29,240 Duluth, MN-WI — $29,260 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $29,260 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $29,310 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $29,310 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $29,360 Columbia, MO — $29,390 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $29,430 Rapid City, SD — $29,440 Omaha, NE-IA — $29,450 Richmond, VA — $29,500 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $29,540 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $29,550 Kansas City, MO-KS — $29,560 Jefferson City, MO — $29,580 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $29,590 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $29,600 Boise City, ID — $29,660 St. Cloud, MN — $29,680 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $29,720 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $29,810 Madison, WI — $29,820 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $29,830 Bismarck, ND — $29,940 Springfield, MO — $29,950 Mankato, MN — $30,000 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $30,000 Carson City, NV — $30,010 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $30,080 Minot, ND — $30,080 Charlottesville, VA — $30,150 Fairbanks-College, AK — $30,170 Missoula, MT — $30,510 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $30,580 Yuma, AZ — $30,580 Santa Fe, NM — $30,810 Fargo, ND-MN — $30,950 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $31,100 Pueblo, CO — $31,100 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $31,120 Rochester, MN — $31,190 Bloomington, IL — $31,200 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $31,200 Decatur, IL — $31,200 Dover, DE — $31,200 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $31,200 Peoria, IL — $31,200 Salisbury, MD — $31,200 Kankakee, IL — $31,220 St. Louis, MO-IL — $31,260 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $31,300 Springfield, IL — $31,350 Grand Junction, CO — $31,510 Reno, NV — $31,530 Rockford, IL — $31,640 Tucson, AZ — $31,690 Bozeman, MT — $31,840 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $31,950 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $32,220 Lexington Park, MD — $32,240 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $32,580 Elmira, NY — $32,950 Greeley, CO — $33,030 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $33,040 Utica-Rome, NY — $33,080 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $33,090 Ann Arbor, MI — $33,220 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $33,270 Anchorage, AK — $33,280 Binghamton, NY — $33,280 Corvallis, OR — $33,350 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $33,350 Rochester, NY — $33,430 Vineland, NJ — $33,550 Flagstaff, AZ — $33,690 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $33,700 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $33,830 Glens Falls, NY — $33,890 Syracuse, NY — $33,940 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $33,990 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $34,060 Springfield, MA — $34,130 Bangor, ME — $34,140 Medford, OR — $34,140 Albany, OR — $34,330 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $34,350 Colorado Springs, CO — $34,420 Salem, OR — $34,520 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $34,540 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $34,560 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $34,600 Worcester, MA — $34,610 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $34,630 Lewiston, ID-WA — $34,650 Pittsfield, MA — $34,680 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $34,720 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $34,720 Ithaca, NY — $34,800 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $34,800 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $34,850 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $34,850 Grants Pass, OR — $34,900 Walla Walla, WA — $35,020 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $35,030 Urban Honolulu, HI — $35,080 New Haven, CT — $35,290 Portland-South Portland, ME — $35,300 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $35,320 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $35,420 Bend, OR — $35,460 Kingston, NY — $35,460 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $35,620 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $35,780 Yakima, WA — $35,830 Longview-Kelso, WA — $36,020 Barnstable Town, MA — $36,100 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $36,110 Boulder, CO — $36,190 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $36,290 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $36,410 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $36,450 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $36,550 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $36,890 Bellingham, WA — $37,030 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $37,070 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $37,080 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $37,190 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $37,840 Merced, CA — $38,200 Chico, CA — $38,210 Visalia, CA — $38,600 El Centro, CA — $38,840 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $39,150 Redding, CA — $39,160 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $39,470 Fresno, CA — $39,480 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $41,740 Yuba City, CA — $42,040 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $42,060 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $42,110 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $42,190 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $42,280 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $42,350 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $42,370 Modesto, CA — $42,630 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $42,860 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $42,940 Salinas, CA — $43,260 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $43,400 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $43,610 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $43,870 Vallejo, CA — $44,110 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $44,570 Napa, CA — $45,410 Modesto 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 Modesto metro area has the 10th-highest published median for this occupation among the 393 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 California Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for fast food and counter workers, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
Modesto metro areathis page
$42,630 median for Modesto metro area; middle half earns $36,690 to $44,440
$45,410 median for Napa metro area; middle half earns $38,170 to $46,740
$44,570 median for San Jose metro area; middle half earns $39,420 to $48,700
$44,110 median for Vallejo metro area; middle half earns $37,260 to $45,940
$43,870 median for San Francisco metro area; middle half earns $38,260 to $48,420
$43,610 median for Santa Rosa metro area; middle half earns $37,050 to $46,180
$43,400 median for Santa Cruz metro area; middle half earns $36,530 to $44,880
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 .