Cedar Rapids, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Cedar Rapids, IA?

In the Cedar Rapids, IA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,280 a year ($13.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,590 of these jobs there. That is 43% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,860 and $35,820; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,476 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Cedar Rapids, IA at a glance

Median salary

$28,280$13.60 per hour · $2,357 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,860$10.51/hr
25th percentile$26,550$12.76/hr
75th percentile$33,680$16.19/hr
90th percentile$35,820$17.22/hr
Jobs in this metro3,590Location quotient 1.04 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here43% belowAll-jobs median $49,360
Against Iowaabout the same asStatewide median $28,390
Against the U.S.9% 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 Cedar Rapids, IA after taxes

$28,280
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,280
Net 87%
Fed 4%
IA 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,476After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,040Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$941Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,218 / yr
Iowa state income tax$423 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,163 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Cedar Rapids, IA, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$10.51/hr$1,822$21,860$19,433
25th percentile$12.76/hr$2,213$26,550$23,117
MedianMedian$13.60/hr$2,357$28,280$24,476
75th percentile$16.19/hr$2,807$33,680$28,614
90th percentile$17.22/hr$2,985$35,820$30,252

Is $28,280 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

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$78,080Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)89.011% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.2%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 Cedar Rapids, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area was $28,280 in May 2025, about $2,357 a month or $13.60 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $28,390, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Cedar Rapids, IA?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Cedar Rapids, IA was $13.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.51 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.22.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS estimated 3,590 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 25.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.04 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Cedar Rapids, IA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Cedar Rapids, IA run from $21,860 at the 10th percentile to $26,550 at the 25th, $33,680 at the 75th, and $35,820 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 Cedar Rapids, IA?

On a median gross salary of $28,280, an estimated $24,476 lands in net take-home pay per year ($941 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,804 (an effective rate of 13.5%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Cedar Rapids, IA?

On the median annual salary of $28,280, gross monthly income is $2,357. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,040 per month (or $941 every two weeks).

Is $28,280 a good salary in Cedar Rapids, IA?

At $28,280, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 36.2% of the Cedar Rapids, IA median household income ($78,080). It is 43% below the $49,360 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 89.0, so prices here run 11% below the U.S. average.