Rocky Mount, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Rocky Mount, NC?

In the Rocky Mount, NC metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $26,850 a year ($12.91 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 880 of these jobs there. That is 39% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $20,930 and $34,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $23,158 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Rocky Mount, NC at a glance

Median salary

$26,850$12.91 per hour · $2,238 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$20,930$10.06/hr
25th percentile$22,540$10.84/hr
75th percentile$29,690$14.28/hr
90th percentile$34,600$16.64/hr
Jobs in this metro880Location quotient 0.65 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here39% belowAll-jobs median $43,960
Against North Carolina6% belowStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.14% 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 Rocky Mount, NC after taxes

$26,850
$15,000$55,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$26,850
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$23,158After all taxes
Monthly deposit$1,930Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$891Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate13.8%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,075 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$563 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,054 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Rocky Mount, NC, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.06/hr$1,744$20,930$18,519
25th percentile$10.84/hr$1,878$22,540$19,781
MedianMedian$12.91/hr$2,238$26,850$23,158
75th percentile$14.28/hr$2,474$29,690$25,360
90th percentile$16.64/hr$2,883$34,600$29,109

Is $26,850 a good salary in Rocky Mount, NC?

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$59,636Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)88.012% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45%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 Rocky Mount, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Rocky Mount, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Rocky Mount, NC metro area was $26,850 in May 2025, about $2,238 a month or $12.91 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays 6% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Rocky Mount, NC?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Rocky Mount, NC was $12.91 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.06 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.64.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS estimated 880 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 16.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.65 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 Rocky Mount, NC?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Rocky Mount, NC run from $20,930 at the 10th percentile to $22,540 at the 25th, $29,690 at the 75th, and $34,600 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 Rocky Mount, NC?

On a median gross salary of $26,850, an estimated $23,158 lands in net take-home pay per year ($891 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,692 (an effective rate of 13.7%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Rocky Mount, NC?

On the median annual salary of $26,850, gross monthly income is $2,238. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $1,930 per month (or $891 every two weeks).

Is $26,850 a good salary in Rocky Mount, NC?

At $26,850, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 45% of the Rocky Mount, NC median household income ($59,636). It is 39% below the $43,960 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 88.0, so prices here run 12% below the U.S. average.