Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $34,630 a year ($16.65 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 97,280 of these jobs there. That is 37% below the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $38,610; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $28,436 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL at a glance

Median salary

$34,630$16.65 per hour · $2,886 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$36,590$17.59/hr
90th percentile$38,610$18.56/hr
Jobs in this metro97,280Location quotient 0.87 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here37% belowAll-jobs median $54,720
Against Illinois2% aboveStatewide median $33,910
Against the U.S.11% aboveNational 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 Chicago-Naperville, IL after taxes

$34,630
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,630
Net 82%
Fed 6%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$28,436After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,370Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,094Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,976 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,569 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,649 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Chicago-Naperville, IL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
MedianMedian$16.65/hr$2,886$34,630$28,436
75th percentile$17.59/hr$3,049$36,590$29,914
90th percentile$18.56/hr$3,218$38,610$31,437

Is $34,630 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

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$90,887Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.63.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.1%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 Chicago-Naperville, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area was $34,630 in May 2025, about $2,886 a month or $16.65 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $33,910, so the metro pays 2% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $16.65 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.56.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS estimated 97,280 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 21.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.87 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $36,590 at the 75th, and $38,610 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On a median gross salary of $34,630, an estimated $28,436 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,094 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,194 (an effective rate of 17.9%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On the median annual salary of $34,630, gross monthly income is $2,886. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,370 per month (or $1,094 every two weeks).

Is $34,630 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

At $34,630, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 38.1% of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median household income ($90,887). It is 37% below the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.