Waco, TX metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Waco, TX?

In the Waco, TX metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $27,750 a year ($13.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 5,100 of these jobs there. That is 40% below the $46,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,540 and $34,800; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Texas tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,462 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Waco, TX at a glance

Median salary

$27,750$13.34 per hour · $2,313 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,540$10.36/hr
25th percentile$22,630$10.88/hr
75th percentile$29,100$13.99/hr
90th percentile$34,800$16.73/hr
Jobs in this metro5,100Location quotient 1.59 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here40% belowAll-jobs median $46,020
Against Texasabout the same asStatewide median $27,740
Against the U.S.11% 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 Waco, TX after taxes

$27,750
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$27,750
Net 88%
Fed 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,462After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,039Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$941Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate11.9%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,165 / yr
Texas state income taxNo state wage tax$0
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,123 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Waco, TX, hourly and yearly

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

What fast food or counter workers earned in the Waco, TX metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (TX)
10th percentile$10.36/hr$1,795$21,540$19,348
25th percentile$10.88/hr$1,886$22,630$20,246
MedianMedian$13.34/hr$2,313$27,750$24,462
75th percentile$13.99/hr$2,425$29,100$25,562
90th percentile$16.73/hr$2,900$34,800$30,142

Is $27,750 a good salary in Waco, TX?

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$66,205Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.57.5% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household41.9%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 Waco, TX: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Waco, TX?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Waco, TX metro area was $27,750 in May 2025, about $2,313 a month or $13.34 an hour. Statewide, the Texas median for this job is $27,740, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Waco, TX?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Waco, TX was $13.34 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.36 an hour and one in ten earned more than $16.73.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Waco, TX?

BLS estimated 5,100 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 39.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.59 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 Waco, TX?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Waco, TX run from $21,540 at the 10th percentile to $22,630 at the 25th, $29,100 at the 75th, and $34,800 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 Waco, TX?

On a median gross salary of $27,750, an estimated $24,462 lands in net take-home pay per year ($941 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Texas in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $3,288 (an effective rate of 11.8%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Waco, TX?

On the median annual salary of $27,750, gross monthly income is $2,313. After federal, FICA, and Texas state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,039 per month (or $941 every two weeks).

Is $27,750 a good salary in Waco, TX?

At $27,750, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 41.9% of the Waco, TX median household income ($66,205). It is 40% below the $46,020 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.5, so prices here run 7.5% below the U.S. average.