Iowa City, IA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Iowa City, IA?

In the Iowa City, IA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,760 a year ($13.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 2,890 of these jobs there. That is 43% below the $50,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,000 and $36,090; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Iowa tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,848 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Iowa City, IA at a glance

Median salary

$28,760$13.83 per hour · $2,397 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,000$10.58/hr
25th percentile$26,770$12.87/hr
75th percentile$34,810$16.73/hr
90th percentile$36,090$17.35/hr
Jobs in this metro2,890Location quotient 1.24 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here43% belowAll-jobs median $50,060
Against Iowa1% aboveStatewide median $28,390
Against the U.S.8% 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 Iowa City, IA after taxes

$28,760
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,760
Net 86%
Fed 4%
IA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,848After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,071Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$956Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.6%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,271 / yr
Iowa state income tax$441 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,200 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Iowa City, IA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Iowa City, IA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Iowa City, IA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IA)
10th percentile$10.58/hr$1,833$22,000$19,543
25th percentile$12.87/hr$2,231$26,770$23,290
MedianMedian$13.83/hr$2,397$28,760$24,848
75th percentile$16.73/hr$2,901$34,810$29,479
90th percentile$17.35/hr$3,008$36,090$30,459

Is $28,760 a good salary in Iowa City, IA?

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$75,088Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.58.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.3%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 Iowa City, IA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Iowa City, IA?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Iowa City, IA metro area was $28,760 in May 2025, about $2,397 a month or $13.83 an hour. Statewide, the Iowa median for this job is $28,390, so the metro pays 1% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Iowa City, IA?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Iowa City, IA was $13.83 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.58 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.35.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Iowa City, IA?

BLS estimated 2,890 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 30.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.24 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 Iowa City, IA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Iowa City, IA run from $22,000 at the 10th percentile to $26,770 at the 25th, $34,810 at the 75th, and $36,090 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 Iowa City, IA?

On a median gross salary of $28,760, an estimated $24,848 lands in net take-home pay per year ($956 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Iowa in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,912 (an effective rate of 13.6%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Iowa City, IA?

On the median annual salary of $28,760, gross monthly income is $2,397. After federal, FICA, and Iowa state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,071 per month (or $956 every two weeks).

Is $28,760 a good salary in Iowa City, IA?

At $28,760, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 38.3% of the Iowa City, IA median household income ($75,088). It is 43% below the $50,060 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.5, so prices here run 8.5% below the U.S. average.