Tucson, AZ metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Tucson, AZ?

In the Tucson, AZ metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $31,690 a year ($15.24 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 9,980 of these jobs there. That is 34% below the $47,760 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $30,600 and $42,130; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Arizona tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $27,244 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Tucson, AZ at a glance

Median salary

$31,690$15.24 per hour · $2,641 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$30,600$14.71/hr
25th percentile$30,860$14.84/hr
75th percentile$34,840$16.75/hr
90th percentile$42,130$20.26/hr
Jobs in this metro9,980Location quotient 1.03 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here34% belowAll-jobs median $47,760
Against Arizona7% belowStatewide median $34,230
Against the U.S.2% 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 Tucson, AZ after taxes

$31,690
$15,000$65,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$31,690
Net 86%
Fed 5%
AZ 1%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$27,244After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,270Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,048Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,623 / yr
Arizona state income tax$399 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,424 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Tucson, AZ, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Tucson, AZ metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (AZ)
10th percentile$14.71/hr$2,550$30,600$26,396
25th percentile$14.84/hr$2,572$30,860$26,598
MedianMedian$15.24/hr$2,641$31,690$27,244
75th percentile$16.75/hr$2,903$34,840$29,697
90th percentile$20.26/hr$3,511$42,130$35,372

Is $31,690 a good salary in Tucson, AZ?

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$70,315Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)96.93.1% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household45.1%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 Tucson, AZ: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Tucson, AZ?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Tucson, AZ metro area was $31,690 in May 2025, about $2,641 a month or $15.24 an hour. Statewide, the Arizona median for this job is $34,230, so the metro pays 7% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Tucson, AZ?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Tucson, AZ was $15.24 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $14.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.26.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Tucson, AZ?

BLS estimated 9,980 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 Tucson, AZ?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Tucson, AZ run from $30,600 at the 10th percentile to $30,860 at the 25th, $34,840 at the 75th, and $42,130 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 Tucson, AZ?

On a median gross salary of $31,690, an estimated $27,244 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,048 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Arizona in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,446 (an effective rate of 14%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Tucson, AZ?

On the median annual salary of $31,690, gross monthly income is $2,641. After federal, FICA, and Arizona state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,270 per month (or $1,048 every two weeks).

Is $31,690 a good salary in Tucson, AZ?

At $31,690, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 45.1% of the Tucson, AZ median household income ($70,315). It is 34% below the $47,760 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 96.9, so prices here run 3.1% below the U.S. average.