Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $42,110 a year ($20.24 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 160,270 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $35,720 and $46,830; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $35,348 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA at a glance

Median salary

$42,110$20.24 per hour · $3,509 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$35,720$17.18/hr
25th percentile$36,540$17.57/hr
75th percentile$44,470$21.38/hr
90th percentile$46,830$22.52/hr
Jobs in this metro160,270Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $55,850
Against Californiaabout the same asStatewide median $42,280
Against the U.S.35% aboveNational 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA after taxes

$42,110
$15,000$85,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$42,110
Net 84%
Fed 7%
CA 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$35,348After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,946Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,360Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate16.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,873 / yr
California state income tax$667 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,221 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$17.18/hr$2,977$35,720$30,470
25th percentile$17.57/hr$3,045$36,540$31,096
MedianMedian$20.24/hr$3,509$42,110$35,348
75th percentile$21.38/hr$3,706$44,470$37,150
90th percentile$22.52/hr$3,903$46,830$38,952

Is $42,110 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA?

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$95,958Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)113.613.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.9%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 Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area was $42,110 in May 2025, about $3,509 a month or $20.24 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $42,280, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA was $20.24 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $17.18 an hour and one in ten earned more than $22.52.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS estimated 160,270 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 25.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.03 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA run from $35,720 at the 10th percentile to $36,540 at the 25th, $44,470 at the 75th, and $46,830 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On a median gross salary of $42,110, an estimated $35,348 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,360 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,762 (an effective rate of 16.1%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

On the median annual salary of $42,110, gross monthly income is $3,509. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,946 per month (or $1,360 every two weeks).

Is $42,110 a good salary in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?

At $42,110, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 43.9% of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA median household income ($95,958). It is 25% below the $55,850 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 113.6, so prices here run 13.6% above the U.S. average.