Altoona, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Altoona, PA?

In the Altoona, PA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $26,090 a year ($12.54 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,800 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,210 and $34,540; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,294 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Altoona, PA at a glance

Median salary

$26,090$12.54 per hour · $2,174 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,210$9.71/hr
25th percentile$22,090$10.62/hr
75th percentile$28,290$13.60/hr
90th percentile$34,540$16.61/hr
Jobs in this metro1,800Location quotient 1.24 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $44,270
Against Pennsylvania9% belowStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.16% belowNational median $31,200

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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 Altoona, PA after taxes

$26,090
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,090
Net 85%
Fed 4%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,294After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,858Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$857Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$999 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$801 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,996 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Altoona, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Altoona, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$9.71/hr$1,684$20,210$17,632
25th percentile$10.62/hr$1,841$22,090$19,123
MedianMedian$12.54/hr$2,174$26,090$22,294
75th percentile$13.60/hr$2,358$28,290$24,038
90th percentile$16.61/hr$2,878$34,540$28,873

Is $26,090 a good salary in Altoona, 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$62,382Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.510.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.8%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 Altoona, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Altoona, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Altoona, PA metro area was $26,090 in May 2025, about $2,174 a month or $12.54 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays 9% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Altoona, PA?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Altoona, PA was $12.54 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.61.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Altoona, PA?

BLS estimated 1,800 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 30.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.24 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Altoona, PA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Altoona, PA run from $20,210 at the 10th percentile to $22,090 at the 25th, $28,290 at the 75th, and $34,540 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 Altoona, PA?

On a median gross salary of $26,090, an estimated $22,294 lands in net take-home pay per year ($857 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,796 (an effective rate of 14.5%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Altoona, PA?

On the median annual salary of $26,090, gross monthly income is $2,174. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,858 per month (or $857 every two weeks).

Is $26,090 a good salary in Altoona, PA?

At $26,090, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 41.8% of the Altoona, PA median household income ($62,382). It is 41% below the $44,270 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.5, so prices here run 10.5% below the U.S. average.