Bowling Green, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Bowling Green, KY?

In the Bowling Green, KY metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,650 a year ($13.30 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,540 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $45,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,830 and $33,770; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,530 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Bowling Green, KY at a glance

Median salary

$27,650$13.30 per hour · $2,304 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,830$10.49/hr
25th percentile$23,530$11.31/hr
75th percentile$29,820$14.34/hr
90th percentile$33,770$16.24/hr
Jobs in this metro2,540Location quotient 1.25 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $45,040
Against Kentucky2% aboveStatewide median $27,130
Against the U.S.11% 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 Bowling Green, KY after taxes

$27,650
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,650
Net 85%
Fed 4%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,530After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,961Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$905Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,155 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$850 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,115 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Bowling Green, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Bowling Green, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$10.49/hr$1,819$21,830$18,941
25th percentile$11.31/hr$1,961$23,530$20,281
MedianMedian$13.30/hr$2,304$27,650$23,530
75th percentile$14.34/hr$2,485$29,820$25,214
90th percentile$16.24/hr$2,814$33,770$28,250

Is $27,650 a good salary in Bowling Green, KY?

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$63,328Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.29.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.7%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 Bowling Green, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Bowling Green, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Bowling Green, KY metro area was $27,650 in May 2025, about $2,304 a month or $13.30 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $27,130, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Bowling Green, KY?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Bowling Green, KY was $13.30 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.49 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.24.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Bowling Green, KY?

BLS estimated 2,540 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 30.9 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.25 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 Bowling Green, KY?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Bowling Green, KY run from $21,830 at the 10th percentile to $23,530 at the 25th, $29,820 at the 75th, and $33,770 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 Bowling Green, KY?

On a median gross salary of $27,650, an estimated $23,530 lands in net take-home pay per year ($905 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,120 (an effective rate of 14.9%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Bowling Green, KY?

On the median annual salary of $27,650, gross monthly income is $2,304. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,961 per month (or $905 every two weeks).

Is $27,650 a good salary in Bowling Green, KY?

At $27,650, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 43.7% of the Bowling Green, KY median household income ($63,328). It is 39% below the $45,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.2, so prices here run 9.8% below the U.S. average.