Charleston, WV metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Charleston, WV?

In the Charleston, WV metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $22,380 a year ($10.76 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 730 of these jobs there. That is 51% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $18,720 and $34,710; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and West Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $19,537 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Charleston, WV at a glance

Median salary

$22,380$10.76 per hour · $1,865 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$18,720$9.00/hr
25th percentile$19,810$9.52/hr
75th percentile$28,570$13.74/hr
90th percentile$34,710$16.69/hr
Jobs in this metro730Location quotient 0.28 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here51% belowAll-jobs median $45,830
Against West Virginia14% belowStatewide median $26,070
Against the U.S.28% 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 Charleston, WV after taxes

$22,380
$15,000$45,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$22,380
Net 87%
Fed 3%
WV 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$19,537After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,628Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$751Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate12.7%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$628 / yr
West Virginia state income tax$503 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$1,712 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Charleston, WV, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Charleston, WV metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (WV)
10th percentile$9.00/hr$1,560$18,720$16,626
25th percentile$9.52/hr$1,651$19,810$17,493
MedianMedian$10.76/hr$1,865$22,380$19,537
75th percentile$13.74/hr$2,381$28,570$24,454
90th percentile$16.69/hr$2,893$34,710$29,193

Is $22,380 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

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$60,117Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.711.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household37.2%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 Charleston, WV: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Charleston, WV?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Charleston, WV metro area was $22,380 in May 2025, about $1,865 a month or $10.76 an hour. Statewide, the West Virginia median for this job is $26,070, so the metro pays 14% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Charleston, WV?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Charleston, WV was $10.76 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $9.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.69.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Charleston, WV?

BLS estimated 730 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.28 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 Charleston, WV?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Charleston, WV run from $18,720 at the 10th percentile to $19,810 at the 25th, $28,570 at the 75th, and $34,710 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 Charleston, WV?

On a median gross salary of $22,380, an estimated $19,537 lands in net take-home pay per year ($751 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in West Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $2,843 (an effective rate of 12.7%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Charleston, WV?

On the median annual salary of $22,380, gross monthly income is $1,865. After federal, FICA, and West Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,628 per month (or $751 every two weeks).

Is $22,380 a good salary in Charleston, WV?

At $22,380, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 37.2% of the Charleston, WV median household income ($60,117). It is 51% below the $45,830 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.7, so prices here run 11.3% below the U.S. average.