Birmingham, AL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Birmingham, AL?

In the Birmingham, AL metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,020 a year ($12.99 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 10,080 of these jobs there. That is 43% below the $47,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,010 and $33,990; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Alabama tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $22,826 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Birmingham, AL at a glance

Median salary

$27,020$12.99 per hour · $2,252 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,010$10.58/hr
25th percentile$22,340$10.74/hr
75th percentile$27,980$13.45/hr
90th percentile$33,990$16.34/hr
Jobs in this metro10,080Location quotient 0.78 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here43% belowAll-jobs median $47,770
Against Alabama14% aboveStatewide median $23,700
Against the U.S.13% 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 Birmingham, AL after taxes

$27,020
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,020
Net 84%
Fed 4%
AL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$22,826After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,902Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$878Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,092 / yr
Alabama state income tax$1,035 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,067 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Birmingham, AL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Birmingham, 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 Birmingham, AL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AL)
10th percentile$10.58/hr$1,834$22,010$18,929
25th percentile$10.74/hr$1,862$22,340$19,186
MedianMedian$12.99/hr$2,252$27,020$22,826
75th percentile$13.45/hr$2,332$27,980$23,572
90th percentile$16.34/hr$2,833$33,990$28,131

Is $27,020 a good salary in Birmingham, 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$71,498Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.68.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.8%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 Birmingham, AL: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Birmingham, AL?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Birmingham, AL metro area was $27,020 in May 2025, about $2,252 a month or $12.99 an hour. Statewide, the Alabama median for this job is $23,700, so the metro pays 14% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Birmingham, AL?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Birmingham, AL was $12.99 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.58 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.34.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Birmingham, AL?

BLS estimated 10,080 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 19.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.78 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Birmingham, AL?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Birmingham, AL run from $22,010 at the 10th percentile to $22,340 at the 25th, $27,980 at the 75th, and $33,990 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 Birmingham, AL?

On a median gross salary of $27,020, an estimated $22,826 lands in net take-home pay per year ($878 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Alabama in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,194 (an effective rate of 15.5%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Birmingham, AL?

On the median annual salary of $27,020, gross monthly income is $2,252. After federal, FICA, and Alabama state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,902 per month (or $878 every two weeks).

Is $27,020 a good salary in Birmingham, AL?

At $27,020, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 37.8% of the Birmingham, AL median household income ($71,498). It is 43% below the $47,770 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.6, so prices here run 8.4% below the U.S. average.