Burlington, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Burlington, NC?

In the Burlington, NC metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,710 a year ($13.32 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,480 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,600 and $36,010; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,832 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Burlington, NC at a glance

Median salary

$27,710$13.32 per hour · $2,309 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,600$10.39/hr
25th percentile$23,250$11.18/hr
75th percentile$34,020$16.36/hr
90th percentile$36,010$17.31/hr
Jobs in this metro1,480Location quotient 0.88 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $44,010
Against North Carolina3% belowStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.11% 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 Burlington, NC after taxes

$27,710
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,710
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,832After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,986Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$917Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,161 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$597 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,120 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Burlington, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Burlington, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.39/hr$1,800$21,600$19,044
25th percentile$11.18/hr$1,938$23,250$20,337
MedianMedian$13.32/hr$2,309$27,710$23,832
75th percentile$16.36/hr$2,835$34,020$28,666
90th percentile$17.31/hr$3,001$36,010$30,186

Is $27,710 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

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$65,651Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)93.26.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household42.2%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 Burlington, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Burlington, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Burlington, NC metro area was $27,710 in May 2025, about $2,309 a month or $13.32 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays 3% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Burlington, NC?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Burlington, NC was $13.32 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.39 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.31.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Burlington, NC?

BLS estimated 1,480 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 21.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.88 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 Burlington, NC?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Burlington, NC run from $21,600 at the 10th percentile to $23,250 at the 25th, $34,020 at the 75th, and $36,010 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 Burlington, NC?

On a median gross salary of $27,710, an estimated $23,832 lands in net take-home pay per year ($917 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,878 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Burlington, NC?

On the median annual salary of $27,710, gross monthly income is $2,309. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,986 per month (or $917 every two weeks).

Is $27,710 a good salary in Burlington, NC?

At $27,710, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 42.2% of the Burlington, NC median household income ($65,651). It is 37% below the $44,010 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 93.2, so prices here run 6.8% below the U.S. average.