Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in the United States

DOL-verified data from 1,122 government filings, with BLS survey comparison.

DOL Median Salary
$16,765
BLS median: $30,160
DOL Median Salary
$16,765
From 1,122 DOL filings
BLS Median Salary
$30,160
BLS OEWS 2024 survey
Total Employers
139
Companies with DOL filings
Total Employment
668,230
Estimated US workers (BLS)

DOL Filings vs BLS Survey

What Employers File with DOL

$16,765
DOL-Filed Salary Range
$16,640$16,744$16,765$17,888$59,000

This figure comes from 1,122 employer filings with the US Department of Labor under legal obligation. Employers file this salary when sponsoring workers for PERM green cards or H-1B visas.

What BLS Says the Market Pays

$30,160
BLS Survey Salary Range
$22,370$26,540$30,160$35,710$38,980

This figure comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey of 668,230 establishments. This is an independent survey-based estimate of what all workers in this occupation earn.

DOL-filed salaries are 44.4% lower than BLS survey data, which may reflect that sponsored positions concentrate in high-cost locations or experience-intensive roles.

Salary Distribution

Top Paying Employers for Cooks, Fast Food

Ranked by median salary from DOL filings
RankEmployerMedian SalaryFilingsvs Market
1Jim's Management Co., Inc.$21,42424-29%
2PacPizza,LLC$21,42439-29%
3HILLCROFT FOOD MART LLC$21,2165-29.7%
4K and R Pizza LLC$18,5126-38.6%
5JAY SHRI INC$17,5146-41.9%
6A3H FOODS, LP$17,38913-42.3%
7MUY PIZZA MINNESOTA LLC$16,86939-44.1%
8MUY PIZZA TEJAS LLC$16,765187-44.4%
9MUY PIZZA HOUSTON, LLC$16,744331-44.5%
10MUY PIZZA LLC$16,74461-44.5%
11MUY PIZZA SOUTHEAST LLC$16,744173-44.5%
12Touch Cha Inc dba Hanuman Thai EateryN/A7N/A
13MM Management Systems, LLCN/A77N/A

View all companies hiring Cooks, Fast Food

Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs NationalFilingsEmployers
Kansas City, MI$21,424+27.8%131
Corpus Christi, TX$16,744-0.1%122
Houston, TX$16,744-0.1%281
Burlington, NC$16,640-0.7%131

Salary by State

StateMedianvs NationalFilings
Connecticut$32,100-4.9%2
Nebraska$29,224+0.1%4
Massachusetts$29,120-21.5%9
New York$26,614-22.1%2
Vermont$24,960-32.6%1
North Dakota$24,700-15.8%1
Utah$23,972-20%2
Illinois$23,046-27%3
Oregon$22,651-38.8%1
Michigan$22,475-23.4%18
California$21,424-41.2%9
New Jersey$20,700-39%1
Colorado$19,718-43.9%3
Wisconsin$18,512-34.8%6
Florida$17,950-38%29
Pennsylvania$17,014-38%1
Minnesota$16,869-45.3%9
South Carolina$16,806-29.8%4
Texas$16,744-31.4%135
Virginia$16,744-41.6%23
North Carolina$16,640-37.8%21
Georgia$16,640-37.1%1

Salary Trend - DOL Data

Education Requirements

From PERM filings

For Cooks, Fast Food positions, 0% of PERM filings required a Bachelor's degree, 0% required a Master's degree, and 100% required no formal degree.

Education by Top Employer

Most common minimum education from PERM filings
EmployerMost Common EducationMedian Salary
MUY PIZZA HOUSTON, LLCNone$16,744
MUY PIZZA TEJAS LLCNone$16,765
MUY PIZZA SOUTHEAST LLCNone$16,744
MM Management Systems, LLCNot specifiedN/A
MUY PIZZA LLCNone$16,744
PacPizza,LLCNone$21,424
MUY PIZZA MINNESOTA LLCNone$16,869
Jim's Management Co., Inc.None$21,424
A3H FOODS, LPNone$17,389
Touch Cha Inc dba Hanuman Thai EateryNot specifiedN/A

Salary by Industry

Same occupation, different industries (NAICS)

The highest-paying industry for Cooks, Fast Food is Accommodation and Food Services at $23,376.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Cooks, Fast Food make?

Based on 1,122 DOL filings, the median salary for a Cooks, Fast Food is $16,765, ranging from $16,744 to $17,888.

What is the highest salary for a Cooks, Fast Food?

The 90th percentile salary is $38,980 according to BLS data.

Which city pays the most for Cooks, Fast Food?

Based on DOL filings, Kansas City, MI offers the highest median at $21,424.

Does this data include all Cooks, Fast Food salaries or only visa-sponsored workers?

DOL filing data covers positions where the employer filed for PERM green card sponsorship or an H-1B visa. These filings represent a subset of all Cooks, Fast Food positions. We compare this data against BLS OEWS data which covers all workers in this occupation.

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Source: US Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) public disclosure files (PERM Form ETA-9089 and LCA Form ETA-9035), and US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Salary figures represent employer filings and government survey estimates, not individual worker pay.