Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 District of Columbia tax rules.
The figures
The median Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earns $34,600 a year ($16.64 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn between $31,830 and $37,300 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $30,460 or less and the top 10 percent earn $42,490 or more. BLS estimates 60,560 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area — 19.309 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.78 (below the national concentration). That is 1.6% of all Fast Food and Counter Workers employment in the United States (3,854,050 jobs nationally). By employment, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV is the #8 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers. In aggregate, Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn about $2.15 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $29,711.44 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Fast Food and Counter Workers is about $1.80 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 4.7% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Fast Food and Counter Workers. By employment, Fast Food and Counter Workers is the #5 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Placed against the national distribution for Fast Food and Counter Workers, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $34,600 falls between the national median ($31,200) and the national 75th percentile ($36,070). Across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median is $71,060 a year — Fast Food and Counter Workers pay is 51.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $17.09 | $35,550 |
| 10th percentile | $14.65 | $30,460 |
| 25th percentile | $15.30 | $31,830 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $16.64 | $34,600 |
| 75th percentile | $17.93 | $37,300 |
| 90th percentile | $20.43 | $42,490 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV earn 1.4 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($42,490 against $30,460). The middle half spans $5,470 — from $31,830 to $37,300. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($20.43) is 1.39 times the 10th ($14.65). In the upper half of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $37,300 takes home $31,012.42 and the 90th percentile wage of $42,490 takes home $34,871.22 — $3,858.80 more net for $5,190 more gross. Against the median take-home of $29,004.80, the top decile keeps 1.20 times as much. The mean wage of $35,550 sits 2.7% above the median: higher-paid Fast Food and Counter Workers pull the average up in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Among the 30 covered occupations in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, Fast Food and Counter Workers ranks #30 by median pay. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage ladder of covered occupations, Fast Food and Counter Workers sits just below Cashiers at $35,470. Fast Food and Counter Workers accounts for 1.9% of all employment in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area. The average covered metro employs 62,486 Fast Food and Counter Workers; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV employs 1.0 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in District of Columbia
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in District of Columbia; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $34,600.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $1,972.00 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,145.20 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $501.70 |
| District of Columbia income tax | $976.00 |
| Total deductions | $5,595.20 |
| Net pay (annual) | $29,004.80 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,115.57 |
| Total deduction rate | 16.17% of gross |
At the median, $29,004.80 of the $34,600 gross is kept ($1,115.57 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 16.17%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.88% at the 10th percentile, 15.35% at the 25th percentile, 16.86% at the 75th percentile, 17.93% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $4,066.78 on a gross rise of $5,470.
The same engine at the other published points of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($30,460) | $25,926.90 | $997.19 | 14.88% |
| 25th percentile ($31,830) | $26,945.64 | $1,036.37 | 15.35% |
| Median ($34,600) | $29,004.80 | $1,115.57 | 16.17% |
| 75th percentile ($37,300) | $31,012.42 | $1,192.79 | 16.86% |
| 90th percentile ($42,490) | $34,871.22 | $1,341.20 | 17.93% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $25,926.90 a year at the 10th percentile to $34,871.22 at the 90th — a spread of $8,944.32 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median wage of $71,060 takes home $55,576.74 a year ($2,137.57 per paycheck, deduction rate 21.79%). The Fast Food and Counter Workers median take-home of $29,004.80 sits $26,571.94 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also covers parts of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia. The take-home estimate above uses District of Columbia rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia paycheck calculators.
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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $34,600 is $3,400 (10.9%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $35,550 a year in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV against $32,150 nationally, a gap of $3,400 (10.6%).
Set against the whole local market, the Fast Food and Counter Workers 90th percentile of $42,490 is 24% of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV all-occupations 90th percentile ($174,600), and its 10th percentile of $30,460 is 84% of the area-wide 10th ($36,260).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $34,600 | $16.64 | $35,550 |
| United States | $31,200 | $15.00 | $32,150 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$34,600 a year ($16.64 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $35,550 a year. Ranked by median pay, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV stands #11 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $34,600 in District of Columbia?
About $29,004.80 a year ($1,115.57 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 16.17% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $37,300, take-home is $31,012.42.
How does pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV compare with the national median for Fast Food and Counter Workers?
The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV median of $34,600 is $3,400 (10.9%) above the national median of $31,200 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $42,490, against a national 90th percentile of $42,650.
How much do the top 10% of Fast Food and Counter Workers earn in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
$42,490 a year or more ($20.43 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
On $42,490 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $34,871.22 a year ($1,341.20 per biweekly paycheck) in District of Columbia under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 17.93%.
How many Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs are there in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
BLS estimates 60,560 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area — 19.309 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The location quotient is 0.78 — 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
From $25,926.90 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($30,460) to $34,871.22 at the 90th ($42,490), under the same single-filer assumptions in District of Columbia.
What is the total wage bill for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
About $2.15 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 60,560 multiplied by the mean wage of $35,550.
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.