Rockford, IL metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Rockford, IL?

In the Rockford, IL metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $31,640 a year ($15.21 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,630 of these jobs there. That is 33% below the $47,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,200 and $35,310; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $26,181 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Rockford, IL at a glance

Median salary

$31,640$15.21 per hour · $2,637 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
25th percentile$31,200$15.00/hr
75th percentile$33,880$16.29/hr
90th percentile$35,310$16.97/hr
Jobs in this metro3,630Location quotient 1.07 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here33% belowAll-jobs median $47,120
Against Illinois7% belowStatewide median $33,910
Against the U.S.1% aboveNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Rockford, IL after taxes

$31,640
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,640
Net 83%
Fed 5%
IL 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$26,181After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,182Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,007Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,617 / yr
Illinois state income tax$1,421 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,420 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Rockford, IL, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Rockford, IL metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
25th percentile$15.00/hr$2,600$31,200$25,850
MedianMedian$15.21/hr$2,637$31,640$26,181
75th percentile$16.29/hr$2,823$33,880$27,870
90th percentile$16.97/hr$2,943$35,310$28,949

Is $31,640 a good salary in Rockford, IL?

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$68,033Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.27.8% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household46.5%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 Rockford, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Rockford, IL?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Rockford, IL metro area was $31,640 in May 2025, about $2,637 a month or $15.21 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $33,910, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Rockford, IL?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Rockford, IL was $15.21 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.00 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.97.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Rockford, IL?

BLS estimated 3,630 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 26.4 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.07 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 Rockford, IL?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Rockford, IL run from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $31,200 at the 25th, $33,880 at the 75th, and $35,310 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 Rockford, IL?

On a median gross salary of $31,640, an estimated $26,181 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,007 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $5,459 (an effective rate of 17.3%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Rockford, IL?

On the median annual salary of $31,640, gross monthly income is $2,637. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,182 per month (or $1,007 every two weeks).

Is $31,640 a good salary in Rockford, IL?

At $31,640, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 46.5% of the Rockford, IL median household income ($68,033). It is 33% below the $47,120 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.2, so prices here run 7.8% below the U.S. average.