Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Cincinnati, OH?

In the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $29,720 a year ($14.29 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 30,950 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $23,590 and $35,240; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $25,213 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Cincinnati, OH at a glance

Median salary

$29,720$14.29 per hour · $2,477 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$23,590$11.34/hr
25th percentile$28,290$13.60/hr
75th percentile$33,340$16.03/hr
90th percentile$35,240$16.94/hr
Jobs in this metro30,950Location quotient 1.13 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $50,170
Against Indiana3% aboveStatewide median $28,790
Against the U.S.5% 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 Cincinnati, OH after taxes

$29,720
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,720
Net 85%
Fed 5%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$25,213After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,101Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$970Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,386 / yr
Indiana state income tax$847 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,274 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Cincinnati, OH, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Cincinnati, OH-KY-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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$11.34/hr$1,966$23,590$20,370
25th percentile$13.60/hr$2,358$28,290$24,102
MedianMedian$14.29/hr$2,477$29,720$25,213
75th percentile$16.03/hr$2,778$33,340$28,015
90th percentile$16.94/hr$2,937$35,240$29,485

Is $29,720 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH?

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$81,120Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.44.6% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.6%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 Cincinnati, OH: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area was $29,720 in May 2025, about $2,477 a month or $14.29 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,790, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN was $14.29 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.34 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.94.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS estimated 30,950 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 28.1 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.13 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN run from $23,590 at the 10th percentile to $28,290 at the 25th, $33,340 at the 75th, and $35,240 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On a median gross salary of $29,720, an estimated $25,213 lands in net take-home pay per year ($970 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,507 (an effective rate of 15.2%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

On the median annual salary of $29,720, gross monthly income is $2,477. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,101 per month (or $970 every two weeks).

Is $29,720 a good salary in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?

At $29,720, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 36.6% of the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN median household income ($81,120). It is 41% below the $50,170 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.4, so prices here run 4.6% below the U.S. average.