Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $24,600 a year ($11.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,370 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,770 and $34,220; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $20,946 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Auburn-Opelika, AL at a glance

Median salary

$24,600$11.83 per hour · $2,050 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,770$9.99/hr
25th percentile$21,750$10.46/hr
75th percentile$27,560$13.25/hr
90th percentile$34,220$16.45/hr
Jobs in this metro2,370Location quotient 1.31 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $39,070
Against Alabama4% aboveStatewide median $23,700
Against the U.S.21% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL after taxes

$24,600
$15,000$50,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$24,600
Net 85%
Fed 3%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$20,946After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,745Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$806Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$850 / yr
Alabama state income tax$923 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,882 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Auburn-Opelika, AL, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$9.99/hr$1,731$20,770$17,964
25th percentile$10.46/hr$1,813$21,750$18,727
MedianMedian$11.83/hr$2,050$24,600$20,946
75th percentile$13.25/hr$2,297$27,560$23,245
90th percentile$16.45/hr$2,852$34,220$28,305

Is $24,600 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

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$63,649Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.912.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.6%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 Auburn-Opelika, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area was $24,600 in May 2025, about $2,050 a month or $11.83 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $23,700, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL was $11.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.99 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.45.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS estimated 2,370 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 32.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.31 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 Auburn-Opelika, AL?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Auburn-Opelika, AL run from $20,770 at the 10th percentile to $21,750 at the 25th, $27,560 at the 75th, and $34,220 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 Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On a median gross salary of $24,600, an estimated $20,946 lands in net take-home pay per year ($806 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,654 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

On the median annual salary of $24,600, gross monthly income is $2,050. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,745 per month (or $806 every two weeks).

Is $24,600 a good salary in Auburn-Opelika, AL?

At $24,600, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 38.6% of the Auburn-Opelika, AL median household income ($63,649). It is 37% below the $39,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.9, so prices here run 12.1% below the U.S. average.