Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,570 a year ($13.25 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 105,810 of these jobs there. That is 44% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,630 and $35,210; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,314 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Houston-Pasadena, TX at a glance

Median salary

$27,570$13.25 per hour · $2,298 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,630$10.40/hr
25th percentile$22,720$10.92/hr
75th percentile$30,370$14.60/hr
90th percentile$35,210$16.93/hr
Jobs in this metro105,810Location quotient 1.30 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here44% belowAll-jobs median $49,410
Against Texas1% belowStatewide median $27,740
Against the U.S.12% 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 Houston-Pasadena, TX after taxes

$27,570
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,570
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,314After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,026Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$935Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,147 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,109 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Houston-Pasadena, TX, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$10.40/hr$1,803$21,630$19,422
25th percentile$10.92/hr$1,893$22,720$20,320
MedianMedian$13.25/hr$2,298$27,570$24,314
75th percentile$14.60/hr$2,531$30,370$26,582
90th percentile$16.93/hr$2,934$35,210$30,471

Is $27,570 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX?

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$82,168Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.61.4% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household33.6%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 Houston-Pasadena, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area was $27,570 in May 2025, about $2,298 a month or $13.25 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $27,740, so the metro pays 1% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX was $13.25 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.40 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.93.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS estimated 105,810 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 32.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.30 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX run from $21,630 at the 10th percentile to $22,720 at the 25th, $30,370 at the 75th, and $35,210 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On a median gross salary of $27,570, an estimated $24,314 lands in net take-home pay per year ($935 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,256 (an effective rate of 11.8%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

On the median annual salary of $27,570, gross monthly income is $2,298. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,026 per month (or $935 every two weeks).

Is $27,570 a good salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

At $27,570, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 33.6% of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX median household income ($82,168). It is 44% below the $49,410 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.6, so prices here run 1.4% below the U.S. average.