Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

In the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,300 a year ($13.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,710 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $48,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,970 and $35,690; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,110 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Elkhart-Goshen, IN at a glance

Median salary

$28,300$13.60 per hour · $2,358 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,970$10.56/hr
25th percentile$23,720$11.40/hr
75th percentile$31,830$15.31/hr
90th percentile$35,690$17.16/hr
Jobs in this metro2,710Location quotient 0.86 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $48,070
Against Indiana2% belowStatewide median $28,790
Against the U.S.9% belowNational median $31,200

Run the numbers on your own pay

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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN after taxes

$28,300
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,300
Net 85%
Fed 4%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,110After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,009Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$927Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,220 / yr
Indiana state income tax$805 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,165 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Elkhart-Goshen, IN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Elkhart-Goshen, 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$10.56/hr$1,831$21,970$19,084
25th percentile$11.40/hr$1,977$23,720$20,473
MedianMedian$13.60/hr$2,358$28,300$24,110
75th percentile$15.31/hr$2,653$31,830$26,846
90th percentile$17.16/hr$2,974$35,690$29,834

Is $28,300 a good salary in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

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$68,561Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)90.39.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.3%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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area was $28,300 in May 2025, about $2,358 a month or $13.60 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,790, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Elkhart-Goshen, IN was $13.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.56 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.16.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

BLS estimated 2,710 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 21.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.86 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Elkhart-Goshen, IN run from $21,970 at the 10th percentile to $23,720 at the 25th, $31,830 at the 75th, and $35,690 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 Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

On a median gross salary of $28,300, an estimated $24,110 lands in net take-home pay per year ($927 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,190 (an effective rate of 14.8%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

On the median annual salary of $28,300, gross monthly income is $2,358. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,009 per month (or $927 every two weeks).

Is $28,300 a good salary in Elkhart-Goshen, IN?

At $28,300, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 41.3% of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN median household income ($68,561). It is 41% below the $48,070 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 90.3, so prices here run 9.7% below the U.S. average.