Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Arizona tax rules.
The figures
The median Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area earns $34,540 a year ($16.61 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn between $31,790 and $35,980 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,910 or less and the top 10 percent earn $45,170 or more. BLS estimates 54,900 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area — 23.109 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.93 (below the national concentration). That is 1.4% of all Fast Food and Counter Workers employment in the United States (3,854,050 jobs nationally). By employment, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ is the #11 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers. In aggregate, Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn about $1.95 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $30,265.88 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ Fast Food and Counter Workers is about $1.66 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 6.5% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #12 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Fast Food and Counter Workers. By employment, Fast Food and Counter Workers is the #6 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Placed against the national distribution for Fast Food and Counter Workers, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $34,540 falls between the national median ($31,200) and the national 75th percentile ($36,070). Across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median is $51,380 a year — Fast Food and Counter Workers pay is 32.8% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $17.09 | $35,560 |
| 10th percentile | $14.86 | $30,910 |
| 25th percentile | $15.29 | $31,790 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $16.61 | $34,540 |
| 75th percentile | $17.30 | $35,980 |
| 90th percentile | $21.72 | $45,170 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ earn 1.5 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($45,170 against $30,910). The middle half spans $4,190 — from $31,790 to $35,980. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($21.72) is 1.46 times the 10th ($14.86). In the upper half of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $35,980 takes home $30,592.54 and the 90th percentile wage of $45,170 takes home $37,747.52 — $7,154.98 more net for $9,190 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,472.08, the top decile keeps 1.28 times as much. The mean wage of $35,560 sits 3.0% above the median: higher-paid Fast Food and Counter Workers pull the average up in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Among the 30 covered occupations in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ, Fast Food and Counter Workers ranks #30 by median pay. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage ladder of covered occupations, Fast Food and Counter Workers sits just below Cashiers at $34,920. Fast Food and Counter Workers accounts for 2.3% of all employment in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area. The average covered metro employs 62,486 Fast Food and Counter Workers; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employs 0.9 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Arizona
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Arizona; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $34,540.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $1,964.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,141.48 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $500.83 |
| Arizona income tax | $461.00 |
| Total deductions | $5,067.92 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,472.08 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,133.54 |
| Total deduction rate | 14.67% of gross |
At the median, $29,472.08 of the $34,540 gross is kept ($1,133.54 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 14.67%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 13.80% at the 10th percentile, 14.03% at the 25th percentile, 14.97% at the 75th percentile, 16.43% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $3,261.80 on a gross rise of $4,190.
The same engine at the other published points of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($30,910) | $26,645.74 | $1,024.84 | 13.80% |
| 25th percentile ($31,790) | $27,330.74 | $1,051.18 | 14.03% |
| Median ($34,540) | $29,472.08 | $1,133.54 | 14.67% |
| 75th percentile ($35,980) | $30,592.54 | $1,176.64 | 14.97% |
| 90th percentile ($45,170) | $37,747.52 | $1,451.83 | 16.43% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $26,645.74 a year at the 10th percentile to $37,747.52 at the 90th — a spread of $11,101.78 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median wage of $51,380 takes home $42,582.12 a year ($1,637.77 per paycheck, deduction rate 17.12%). The Fast Food and Counter Workers median take-home of $29,472.08 sits $13,110.04 (below that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Fast Food and Counter Workers earns $31,200 a year ($15.00 an hour). The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $34,540 is $3,340 (10.7%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $35,560 a year in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ against $32,150 nationally, a gap of $3,410 (10.6%).
Set against the whole local market, the Fast Food and Counter Workers 90th percentile of $45,170 is 36% of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ all-occupations 90th percentile ($125,130), and its 10th percentile of $30,910 is 89% of the area-wide 10th ($34,800).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $34,540 | $16.61 | $35,560 |
| United States | $31,200 | $15.00 | $32,150 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$34,540 a year ($16.61 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $35,560 a year. Ranked by median pay, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ stands #12 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $34,540 in Arizona?
About $29,472.08 a year ($1,133.54 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 14.67% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $35,980, take-home is $30,592.54.
How does pay in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ compare with the national median for Fast Food and Counter Workers?
The Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ median of $34,540 is $3,340 (10.7%) above the national median of $31,200 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $45,170, against a national 90th percentile of $42,650.
How much do the top 10% of Fast Food and Counter Workers earn in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
$45,170 a year or more ($21.72 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
On $45,170 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $37,747.52 a year ($1,451.83 per biweekly paycheck) in Arizona under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 16.43%.
How many Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs are there in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
BLS estimates 54,900 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area — 23.109 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
The location quotient is 0.93 — below the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
From $26,645.74 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,910) to $37,747.52 at the 90th ($45,170), under the same single-filer assumptions in Arizona.
What is the total wage bill for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ?
About $1.95 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 54,900 multiplied by the mean wage of $35,560.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.