Fast Food and Counter Workers: Job Description
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
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The Daily Work of Fast Food and Counter Workers Do?
Typical responsibilities of fast food and counter workers include:
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective fast food and counter workers combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member)
- Bakery Associate
- Barista
- Bistro Team Member
- Cafe Server
- Cafe Worker
- Cafeteria Food Server
- Cafeteria Lunchroom Counter Attendant
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 1,568,792 fast food and counter workers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.5% over the projection horizon.
Fast Food and Counter Workers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $38,162 |
| Hourly median | $18.35 |
| 10th percentile | $25,735 |
| 25th percentile | $31,948 |
| 75th percentile | $44,375 |
| 90th percentile | $50,588 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $38,240 |
| California | $37,010 |
| Washington | $36,820 |
| Colorado | $35,440 |
| New York | $35,270 |
| Massachusetts | $35,060 |
| Vermont | $34,540 |
| Alaska | $34,430 |
| Oregon | $34,430 |
| Maine | $34,360 |
| Connecticut | $33,980 |
| New Jersey | $33,290 |
| Arizona | $33,060 |
| Minnesota | $31,950 |
| Illinois | $31,900 |
| Maryland | $31,200 |
| Hawaii | $30,860 |
| Rhode Island | $30,460 |
| New Hampshire | $30,320 |
| Delaware | $30,210 |
| North Dakota | $30,010 |
| South Dakota | $29,480 |
| Nebraska | $29,420 |
| Missouri | $29,310 |
| Montana | $29,280 |
| Nevada | $29,180 |
| Virginia | $29,060 |
| Michigan | $28,870 |
| North Carolina | $28,760 |
| Utah | $28,670 |
| New Mexico | $28,650 |
| Wisconsin | $28,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,490 |
| Idaho | $28,450 |
| Iowa | $28,400 |
| Indiana | $28,290 |
| Wyoming | $28,200 |
| Ohio | $28,100 |
| Florida | $27,990 |
| Tennessee | $27,840 |
| Kentucky | $27,170 |
| Texas | $27,000 |
| Kansas | $27,000 |
| South Carolina | $26,830 |
| Arkansas | $26,740 |
| Georgia | $26,310 |
| West Virginia | $24,960 |
| Virgin Islands | $23,680 |
| Oklahoma | $23,590 |
| Alabama | $23,490 |
| Louisiana | $23,110 |
| Mississippi | $22,280 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,850 |
| Guam | $20,580 |
Where Fast Food and Counter Workers Earn the Most
Earnings for fast food and counter workers vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $35,982 | 17.5% | 1.06 |
| New England | $34,025 | 4.2% | 0.90 |
| Middle Atlantic | $32,495 | 12.4% | 0.82 |
| Rocky Mountains | $31,688 | 4.7% | 1.16 |
| Plains States | $29,447 | 6.0% | 0.97 |
| Great Lakes | $29,231 | 15.3% | 1.10 |
| Southwest | $27,665 | 15.1% | 1.20 |
| Southeast | $27,137 | 24.1% | 1.01 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $42,660 | 21,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $40,470 | 47,330 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $38,310 | 51,590 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $38,270 | 1,540 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $38,090 | 5,160 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $37,680 | 4,550 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $37,650 | 25,790 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $37,440 | 4,400 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of fast food and counter workers work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and Food Services | 3,313,790 | $30,140 |
| Retail Trade | 212,930 | $34,340 |
| Educational Services | 107,730 | $33,400 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 44,670 | $31,740 |
| Manufacturing | 24,930 | $33,820 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 17,550 | $35,750 |
| Information | 15,740 | $27,480 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 9,640 | $30,640 |
Fast Food and Counter Workers work in the following industries:
Software Fast Food and Counter Workers Use
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for fast food and counter workers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level fast food and counter workers positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Food Service Managers (Supplemental)
- Chefs and Head Cooks (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Fast Food (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Private Household (Supplemental)
- Cooks, Restaurant (Primary-Long)
- Cooks, Short Order (Primary-Long)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 35-3023.00 (Fast Food and Counter Workers).
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