Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Cape Girardeau, MO?

In the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $29,810 a year ($14.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 520 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $44,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,600 and $35,360; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,802 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Cape Girardeau, MO at a glance

Median salary

$29,810$14.33 per hour · $2,484 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
25th percentile$28,760$13.83/hr
75th percentile$31,060$14.93/hr
90th percentile$35,360$17.00/hr
Jobs in this metro520Location quotient 0.47 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $44,470
Against Illinois12% belowStatewide median $33,910
Against the U.S.4% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Cape Girardeau, MO after taxes

$29,810
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,810
Net 83%
Fed 5%
IL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,802After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,067Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$954Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,397 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,331 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,280 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Cape Girardeau, MO, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$23,889
25th percentile$13.83/hr$2,397$28,760$24,010
MedianMedian$14.33/hr$2,484$29,810$24,802
75th percentile$14.93/hr$2,588$31,060$25,744
90th percentile$17.00/hr$2,947$35,360$28,986

Is $29,810 a good salary in Cape Girardeau, MO?

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$66,759Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)86.113.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household44.7%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 Cape Girardeau, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area was $29,810 in May 2025, about $2,484 a month or $14.33 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $33,910, so the metro pays 12% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL was $14.33 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.75 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.00.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

BLS estimated 520 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 11.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.47 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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL run from $28,600 at the 10th percentile to $28,760 at the 25th, $31,060 at the 75th, and $35,360 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 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

On a median gross salary of $29,810, an estimated $24,802 lands in net take-home pay per year ($954 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,008 (an effective rate of 16.8%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

On the median annual salary of $29,810, gross monthly income is $2,484. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,067 per month (or $954 every two weeks).

Is $29,810 a good salary in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?

At $29,810, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 44.7% of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL median household income ($66,759). It is 33% below the $44,470 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 86.1, so prices here run 13.9% below the U.S. average.