Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,990 a year ($13.46 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,500 of these jobs there. That is 42% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,170 and $34,370; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Kentucky tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,798 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Lexington-Fayette, KY at a glance

Median salary

$27,990$13.46 per hour · $2,333 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,170$10.66/hr
25th percentile$23,710$11.40/hr
75th percentile$30,840$14.83/hr
90th percentile$34,370$16.52/hr
Jobs in this metro5,500Location quotient 0.77 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here42% belowAll-jobs median $48,620
Against Kentucky3% aboveStatewide median $27,130
Against the U.S.10% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY after taxes

$27,990
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,990
Net 85%
Fed 4%
KY 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,798After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,983Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$915Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,189 / yr
Kentucky state income tax$862 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,141 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Lexington-Fayette, KY, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (KY)
10th percentile$10.66/hr$1,848$22,170$19,209
25th percentile$11.40/hr$1,976$23,710$20,423
MedianMedian$13.46/hr$2,333$27,990$23,798
75th percentile$14.83/hr$2,570$30,840$25,998
90th percentile$16.52/hr$2,864$34,370$28,711

Is $27,990 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

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$71,966Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.97.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household38.9%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 Lexington-Fayette, KY: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area was $27,990 in May 2025, about $2,333 a month or $13.46 an hour. Statewide, the Kentucky median for this job is $27,130, so the metro pays 3% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY was $13.46 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.66 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.52.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS estimated 5,500 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 19.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.77 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Lexington-Fayette, KY run from $22,170 at the 10th percentile to $23,710 at the 25th, $30,840 at the 75th, and $34,370 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On a median gross salary of $27,990, an estimated $23,798 lands in net take-home pay per year ($915 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Kentucky in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,192 (an effective rate of 15%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

On the median annual salary of $27,990, gross monthly income is $2,333. After federal, FICA, and Kentucky state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,983 per month (or $915 every two weeks).

Is $27,990 a good salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY?

At $27,990, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 38.9% of the Lexington-Fayette, KY median household income ($71,966). It is 42% below the $48,620 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.9, so prices here run 7.1% below the U.S. average.