Joplin, MO-KS metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Joplin, MO?

In the Joplin, MO-KS metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,730 a year ($13.81 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 1,130 of these jobs there. That is 36% below the $44,980 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $27,270 and $33,920; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kansas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,434 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Joplin, MO at a glance

Median salary

$28,730$13.81 per hour · $2,394 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$27,270$13.11/hr
25th percentile$28,600$13.75/hr
75th percentile$29,740$14.30/hr
90th percentile$33,920$16.31/hr
Jobs in this metro1,130Location quotient 0.52 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here36% belowAll-jobs median $44,980
Against Kansas4% aboveStatewide median $27,580
Against the U.S.8% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Joplin, MO after taxes

$28,730
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,730
Net 85%
Fed 4%
KS 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,434After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,036Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$940Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,268 / yr
Kansas state income tax$830 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,198 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Joplin, MO, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Joplin, MO-KS metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Joplin, MO-KS metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KS)
10th percentile$13.11/hr$2,273$27,270$23,313
25th percentile$13.75/hr$2,383$28,600$24,337
MedianMedian$13.81/hr$2,394$28,730$24,434
75th percentile$14.30/hr$2,478$29,740$25,193
90th percentile$16.31/hr$2,827$33,920$28,335

Is $28,730 a good salary in Joplin, MO?

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$61,901Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)85.714.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.4%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 Joplin, MO: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Joplin, MO-KS?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Joplin, MO-KS metro area was $28,730 in May 2025, about $2,394 a month or $13.81 an hour. Statewide, the Kansas median for this job is $27,580, so the metro pays 4% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Joplin, MO-KS?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Joplin, MO-KS was $13.81 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.11 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.31.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Joplin, MO-KS?

BLS estimated 1,130 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 13.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.52 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 Joplin, MO-KS?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Joplin, MO-KS run from $27,270 at the 10th percentile to $28,600 at the 25th, $29,740 at the 75th, and $33,920 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 Joplin, MO-KS?

On a median gross salary of $28,730, an estimated $24,434 lands in net take-home pay per year ($940 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kansas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,296 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Joplin, MO-KS?

On the median annual salary of $28,730, gross monthly income is $2,394. After federal, FICA, and Kansas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,036 per month (or $940 every two weeks).

Is $28,730 a good salary in Joplin, MO-KS?

At $28,730, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 46.4% of the Joplin, MO-KS median household income ($61,901). It is 36% below the $44,980 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 85.7, so prices here run 14.3% below the U.S. average.