Salem, OR metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Salem, OR?

In the Salem, OR metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $34,520 a year ($16.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,880 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $55,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $31,220 and $43,320; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Oregon tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,882 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Salem, OR at a glance

Median salary

$34,520$16.60 per hour · $2,877 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$31,220$15.01/hr
25th percentile$31,670$15.23/hr
75th percentile$36,290$17.45/hr
90th percentile$43,320$20.83/hr
Jobs in this metro5,880Location quotient 1.26 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $55,310
Against Oregon2% belowStatewide median $35,050
Against the U.S.11% 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 Salem, OR after taxes

$34,520
$15,000$70,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$34,520
Net 81%
Fed 6%
OR 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,882After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,324Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,072Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,962 / yr
Oregon state income tax$2,035 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,641 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Salem, OR, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Salem, OR metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (OR)
10th percentile$15.01/hr$2,602$31,220$25,485
25th percentile$15.23/hr$2,639$31,670$25,812
MedianMedian$16.60/hr$2,877$34,520$27,882
75th percentile$17.45/hr$3,024$36,290$29,168
90th percentile$20.83/hr$3,610$43,320$34,275

Is $34,520 a good salary in Salem, OR?

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$78,900Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.63.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.8%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 Salem, OR: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Salem, OR?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Salem, OR metro area was $34,520 in May 2025, about $2,877 a month or $16.60 an hour. Statewide, the Oregon median for this job is $35,050, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Salem, OR?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Salem, OR was $16.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $15.01 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.83.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Salem, OR?

BLS estimated 5,880 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 31.2 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.26 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 Salem, OR?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Salem, OR run from $31,220 at the 10th percentile to $31,670 at the 25th, $36,290 at the 75th, and $43,320 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 Salem, OR?

On a median gross salary of $34,520, an estimated $27,882 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,072 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Oregon in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,638 (an effective rate of 19.2%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Salem, OR?

On the median annual salary of $34,520, gross monthly income is $2,877. After federal, FICA, and Oregon state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,324 per month (or $1,072 every two weeks).

Is $34,520 a good salary in Salem, OR?

At $34,520, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 43.8% of the Salem, OR median household income ($78,900). It is 38% below the $55,310 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.