Lancaster, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Lancaster, PA?

In the Lancaster, PA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,580 a year ($13.74 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 6,870 of these jobs there. That is 41% below the $48,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,150 and $35,930; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,267 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Lancaster, PA at a glance

Median salary

$28,580$13.74 per hour · $2,382 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,150$10.65/hr
25th percentile$26,640$12.81/hr
75th percentile$33,750$16.23/hr
90th percentile$35,930$17.28/hr
Jobs in this metro6,870Location quotient 1.10 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here41% belowAll-jobs median $48,210
Against Pennsylvaniaabout the same asStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.8% 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 Lancaster, PA after taxes

$28,580
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,580
Net 85%
Fed 4%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,267After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,022Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$933Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,250 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$877 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,186 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Lancaster, PA, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Lancaster, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$10.65/hr$1,846$22,150$19,171
25th percentile$12.81/hr$2,220$26,640$22,730
MedianMedian$13.74/hr$2,382$28,580$24,267
75th percentile$16.23/hr$2,813$33,750$28,262
90th percentile$17.28/hr$2,994$35,930$29,947

Is $28,580 a good salary in Lancaster, PA?

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$86,959Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)98.31.7% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household32.9%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 Lancaster, PA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Lancaster, PA?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Lancaster, PA metro area was $28,580 in May 2025, about $2,382 a month or $13.74 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Lancaster, PA?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Lancaster, PA was $13.74 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.65 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.28.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Lancaster, PA?

BLS estimated 6,870 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 27.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.10 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 Lancaster, PA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Lancaster, PA run from $22,150 at the 10th percentile to $26,640 at the 25th, $33,750 at the 75th, and $35,930 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 Lancaster, PA?

On a median gross salary of $28,580, an estimated $24,267 lands in net take-home pay per year ($933 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,313 (an effective rate of 15.1%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Lancaster, PA?

On the median annual salary of $28,580, gross monthly income is $2,382. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,022 per month (or $933 every two weeks).

Is $28,580 a good salary in Lancaster, PA?

At $28,580, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 32.9% of the Lancaster, PA median household income ($86,959). It is 41% below the $48,210 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 98.3, so prices here run 1.7% below the U.S. average.