Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN?

In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $29,040 a year ($13.96 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 28,400 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $49,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,870 and $35,980; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Indiana tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,686 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN at a glance

Median salary

$29,040$13.96 per hour · $2,420 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,870$11.00/hr
25th percentile$28,410$13.66/hr
75th percentile$32,240$15.50/hr
90th percentile$35,980$17.30/hr
Jobs in this metro28,400Location quotient 1.04 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $49,340
Against Indiana1% aboveStatewide median $28,790
Against the U.S.7% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN after taxes

$29,040
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$29,040
Net 85%
Fed 4%
IN 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,686After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,057Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$949Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,305 / yr
Indiana state income tax$827 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,222 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IN)
10th percentile$11.00/hr$1,906$22,870$19,798
25th percentile$13.66/hr$2,368$28,410$24,197
MedianMedian$13.96/hr$2,420$29,040$24,686
75th percentile$15.50/hr$2,687$32,240$27,163
90th percentile$17.30/hr$2,998$35,980$30,058

Is $29,040 a good salary in Indianapolis-Carmel, 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$79,852Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)95.74.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household36.4%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 Indianapolis-Carmel, IN: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area was $29,040 in May 2025, about $2,420 a month or $13.96 an hour. Statewide, the Indiana median for this job is $28,790, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN was $13.96 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $11.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.30.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

BLS estimated 28,400 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 25.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.04 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for fast food or counter workers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN run from $22,870 at the 10th percentile to $28,410 at the 25th, $32,240 at the 75th, and $35,980 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

On a median gross salary of $29,040, an estimated $24,686 lands in net take-home pay per year ($949 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Indiana in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,354 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

On the median annual salary of $29,040, gross monthly income is $2,420. After federal, FICA, and Indiana state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,057 per month (or $949 every two weeks).

Is $29,040 a good salary in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?

At $29,040, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 36.4% of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN median household income ($79,852). It is 41% below the $49,340 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 95.7, so prices here run 4.3% below the U.S. average.