Reading, PA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

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

In the Reading, PA metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,090 a year ($13.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,280 of these jobs there. That is 43% below the $49,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $22,130 and $35,790; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Pennsylvania tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,880 in take-home pay.

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

Median salary

$28,090$13.51 per hour · $2,341 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$22,130$10.64/hr
25th percentile$26,270$12.63/hr
75th percentile$30,110$14.48/hr
90th percentile$35,790$17.21/hr
Jobs in this metro4,280Location quotient 0.99 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here43% belowAll-jobs median $49,440
Against Pennsylvania2% belowStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.10% 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 Reading, PA after taxes

$28,090
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,090
Net 85%
Fed 4%
PA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,880After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,990Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$918Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate15%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,199 / yr
Pennsylvania state income tax$862 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,149 / yr

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

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Reading, 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 Reading, PA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (PA)
10th percentile$10.64/hr$1,844$22,130$19,155
25th percentile$12.63/hr$2,189$26,270$22,437
MedianMedian$13.51/hr$2,341$28,090$23,880
75th percentile$14.48/hr$2,509$30,110$25,449
90th percentile$17.21/hr$2,983$35,790$29,839

Is $28,090 a good salary in Reading, 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$79,777Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)97.12.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household35.2%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 Reading, PA: common questions

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

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Reading, PA metro area was $28,090 in May 2025, about $2,341 a month or $13.51 an hour. Statewide, the Pennsylvania median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

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

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Reading, PA was $13.51 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.64 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.21.

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

BLS estimated 4,280 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 24.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.99 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 Reading, PA?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Reading, PA run from $22,130 at the 10th percentile to $26,270 at the 25th, $30,110 at the 75th, and $35,790 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 Reading, PA?

On a median gross salary of $28,090, an estimated $23,880 lands in net take-home pay per year ($918 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Pennsylvania in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,210 (an effective rate of 15%).

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

On the median annual salary of $28,090, gross monthly income is $2,341. After federal, FICA, and Pennsylvania state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,990 per month (or $918 every two weeks).

Is $28,090 a good salary in Reading, PA?

At $28,090, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 35.2% of the Reading, PA median household income ($79,777). It is 43% below the $49,440 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 97.1, so prices here run 2.9% below the U.S. average.