Fast food or counter worker pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC at a glance
Median salary
$29,170$14.02 per hour · $2,431 monthly · BLS May 2025Run the numbers on your own pay
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Fast food or counter worker salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC after taxes
Fast food or counter workers pay range in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, hourly and yearly
BLS May 2025 estimates for the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.
| Percentile | Hourly | Monthly | Yearly | After tax a year (NC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $10.86/hr | $1,883 | $22,590 | $19,820 |
| 25th percentile | $12.80/hr | $2,218 | $26,620 | $22,978 |
| MedianMedian | $14.02/hr | $2,431 | $29,170 | $24,963 |
| 75th percentile | $17.15/hr | $2,973 | $35,670 | $29,926 |
| 90th percentile | $18.20/hr | $3,155 | $37,860 | $31,599 |
Is $29,170 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
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.
Fast food or counter workers pay in North Carolina and across the U.S.
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.
Fast food or counter worker pay in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC: common questions
What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $29,170 in May 2025, about $2,431 a month or $14.02 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays 2% above the state.
What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC was $14.02 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.86 an hour and one in ten earned more than $18.20.
How many fast food or counter workers work in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS estimated 5,350 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 15.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.63 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC run from $22,590 at the 10th percentile to $26,620 at the 25th, $35,670 at the 75th, and $37,860 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On a median gross salary of $29,170, an estimated $24,963 lands in net take-home pay per year ($960 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,207 (an effective rate of 14.4%).
How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
On the median annual salary of $29,170, gross monthly income is $2,431. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,080 per month (or $960 every two weeks).
Is $29,170 a good salary in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
At $29,170, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 34.9% of the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC median household income ($83,500). It is 52% below the $60,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.6, so prices here run 2.4% below the U.S. average.