Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA?

In the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $29,090 a year ($13.98 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,110 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $48,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,320 and $36,200; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New Jersey tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,132 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA at a glance

Median salary

$29,090$13.98 per hour · $2,424 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,320$10.73/hr
25th percentile$27,680$13.31/hr
75th percentile$32,990$15.86/hr
90th percentile$36,200$17.40/hr
Jobs in this metro9,110Location quotient 0.97 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $48,990
Against New Jersey15% belowStatewide median $34,150
Against the U.S.7% belowNational median $31,200

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Fast food or counter worker salary in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA after taxes

$29,090
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,090
Net 86%
Fed 5%
NJ 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,132After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,094Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$967Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,311 / yr
New Jersey state income tax$422 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,225 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NJ)
10th percentile$10.73/hr$1,860$22,320$19,687
25th percentile$13.31/hr$2,307$27,680$24,008
MedianMedian$13.98/hr$2,424$29,090$25,132
75th percentile$15.86/hr$2,749$32,990$28,198
90th percentile$17.40/hr$3,017$36,200$30,717

Is $29,090 a good salary in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for fast food or counter workers next to both.

Median household income$84,587Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)100.0Exact national baseline
One paycheck vs. a household34.4%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do fast food or counter workers pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Fast food or counter worker pay in Allentown-Bethlehem, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro area was $29,090 in May 2025, about $2,424 a month or $13.98 an hour. Statewide, the New Jersey median for this job is $34,150, so the metro pays 15% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ was $13.98 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.73 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.40.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

BLS estimated 9,110 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 24.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.97 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ run from $22,320 at the 10th percentile to $27,680 at the 25th, $32,990 at the 75th, and $36,200 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do fast food or counter workers take home after taxes in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

On a median gross salary of $29,090, an estimated $25,132 lands in net take-home pay per year ($967 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New Jersey in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,958 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

On the median annual salary of $29,090, gross monthly income is $2,424. After federal, FICA, and New Jersey state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,094 per month (or $967 every two weeks).

Is $29,090 a good salary in Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ?

At $29,090, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 34.4% of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ median household income ($84,587). It is 41% below the $48,990 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 100.0, so prices here run 0% above the U.S. average.