Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

35-2011 Cooks, Fast Food

Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
502,450 1.6 % $9.00 $18,720 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.74 $8.24 $8.80 $9.35 $11.13
Annual Wage (2) $16,090 $17,140 $18,300 $19,450 $23,140


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Limited-Service Eating Places 438,310 10.69 $8.94 $18,590
Full-Service Restaurants 37,020 0.81 $9.31 $19,370
Gasoline Stations 5,110 0.62 $8.61 $17,910
Grocery Stores 4,120 0.17 $10.16 $21,130
Special Food Services 3,160 0.55 $10.38 $21,600

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Limited-Service Eating Places 438,310 10.69 $8.94 $18,590
Specialty Food Stores 2,280 1.05 $9.13 $18,990
Amusement Parks and Arcades 1,430 0.87 $9.85 $20,480
Full-Service Restaurants 37,020 0.81 $9.31 $19,370
Gasoline Stations 5,110 0.62 $8.61 $17,910

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 50 (7) $12.36 $25,700
Local Government (OES Designation) 680 0.01 $11.33 $23,570
Gambling Industries 230 0.18 $11.00 $22,880
Traveler Accommodation 1,190 0.07 $10.41 $21,650
Special Food Services 3,160 0.55 $10.38 $21,600


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 103,230 7.35 1.88 $9.13 $18,980
Texas 38,190 3.71 0.95 $8.63 $17,950
Florida 26,280 3.67 0.94 $8.92 $18,560
Illinois 25,110 4.51 1.15 $9.33 $19,400
Georgia 21,730 5.75 1.47 $8.77 $18,240




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mississippi 9,960 9.28 2.37 $8.34 $17,350
Arkansas 9,860 8.65 2.21 $8.33 $17,320
New Mexico 5,860 7.54 1.92 $8.67 $18,040
California 103,230 7.35 1.88 $9.13 $18,980
Idaho 4,240 7.15 1.83 $8.61 $17,910




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 4,090 2.54 0.65 $11.23 $23,360
Vermont 330 1.15 0.29 $10.55 $21,940
Massachusetts 8,510 2.70 0.69 $10.13 $21,070
Washington 3,960 1.46 0.37 $10.07 $20,940
Alaska 800 2.57 0.65 $10.02 $20,840





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 30,370 7.95 2.03 $9.03 $18,770
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 12,480 3.48 0.89 $9.37 $19,480
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 11,580 10.14 2.59 $9.03 $18,780
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 10,640 4.78 1.22 $8.90 $18,500
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 10,280 7.41 1.89 $9.03 $18,790
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 10,010 5.89 1.50 $9.41 $19,570
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 8,250 6.68 1.70 $9.57 $19,900
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 7,280 9.04 2.31 $8.91 $18,540
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 7,180 2.81 0.72 $9.05 $18,830
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 6,850 1.35 0.35 $10.28 $21,380




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Yuba City, CA 610 16.97 4.33 $8.92 $18,560
Cleveland, TN 550 15.17 3.87 $8.42 $17,500
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 630 14.18 3.62 $9.88 $20,560
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 500 13.82 3.53 $8.63 $17,950
Pine Bluff, AR 480 13.68 3.49 $8.20 $17,050
Rome, GA 440 12.79 3.27 $8.55 $17,790
Hattiesburg, MS 700 12.63 3.22 $8.28 $17,220
Modesto, CA 1,860 12.43 3.17 $8.99 $18,700
Myrtle Beach-North Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC 1,350 12.33 3.15 $8.51 $17,700
Merced, CA 710 12.31 3.14 $8.80 $18,300




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 160 0.61 0.16 $13.12 $27,280
Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Division (8) (8) (8) $12.41 $25,800
New Haven, CT (8) (8) (8) $12.15 $25,270
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 640 1.56 0.40 $11.70 $24,330
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 1,150 2.10 0.54 $11.55 $24,030
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,140 1.43 0.36 $11.54 $24,000
Norwich-New London, CT-RI 950 7.36 1.88 $11.49 $23,890
Ann Arbor, MI 1,320 6.92 1.77 $11.33 $23,570
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ (8) (8) (8) $11.16 $23,210
Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH NECTA Division 350 4.56 1.17 $11.14 $23,170

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 2,270 5.97 1.52 $8.28 $17,220
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,660 7.96 2.03 $8.34 $17,350
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 1,480 11.90 3.04 $8.31 $17,280
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,400 5.64 1.44 $8.55 $17,790
Middle Georgia nonmetropolitan area 1,330 10.09 2.58 $8.34 $17,350

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Idaho nonmetropolitan area 780 15.93 4.07 $8.26 $17,180
Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 1,200 15.49 3.95 $8.21 $17,090
North and West Central New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 870 13.61 3.48 $8.47 $17,630
Southwestern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 350 13.26 3.39 $8.42 $17,520
Eastern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 320 12.55 3.20 $9.36 $19,460

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $13.26 $27,580
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 60 1.81 0.46 $11.94 $24,820
Eastern Montana nonmetropolitan area 80 2.60 0.66 $11.12 $23,140
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $10.96 $22,800
East Central New York nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $10.55 $21,940


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012