Winston-Salem, NC metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a fast food or counter worker make in Winston-Salem, NC?

In the Winston-Salem, NC metropolitan area, fast food or counter workers earned a median of $28,640 a year ($13.77 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 4,900 of these jobs there. That is 38% below the $46,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $21,430 and $36,580; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and North Carolina tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $24,558 in take-home pay.

Fast food or counter worker pay in Winston-Salem, NC at a glance

Median salary

$28,640$13.77 per hour · $2,387 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$21,430$10.30/hr
25th percentile$24,120$11.60/hr
75th percentile$34,100$16.39/hr
90th percentile$36,580$17.59/hr
Jobs in this metro4,900Location quotient 0.73 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here38% belowAll-jobs median $46,380
Against North Carolinaabout the same asStatewide median $28,570
Against the U.S.8% belowNational median $31,200

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Fast food or counter worker salary in Winston-Salem, NC after taxes

$28,640
$15,000$60,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$28,640
Net 86%
Fed 4%
NC 2%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$24,558After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,047Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$945Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate14.3%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$1,257 / yr
North Carolina state income tax$634 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,191 / yr

Fast food or counter workers pay range in Winston-Salem, NC, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NC)
10th percentile$10.30/hr$1,786$21,430$18,911
25th percentile$11.60/hr$2,010$24,120$21,019
MedianMedian$13.77/hr$2,387$28,640$24,558
75th percentile$16.39/hr$2,842$34,100$28,727
90th percentile$17.59/hr$3,048$36,580$30,621

Is $28,640 a good salary in Winston-Salem, 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$65,975Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)92.08% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household43.4%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 Winston-Salem, NC: common questions

What is the median salary for fast food or counter workers in Winston-Salem, NC?

The BLS median annual wage for fast food or counter workers in the Winston-Salem, NC metro area was $28,640 in May 2025, about $2,387 a month or $13.77 an hour. Statewide, the North Carolina median for this job is $28,570, so the metro pays about the same as the state.

What is the hourly pay for fast food or counter workers in Winston-Salem, NC?

The median hourly wage for fast food or counter workers in Winston-Salem, NC was $13.77 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $10.30 an hour and one in ten earned more than $17.59.

How many fast food or counter workers work in Winston-Salem, NC?

BLS estimated 4,900 jobs for fast food or counter workers in the metro in May 2025, or 18.0 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.73 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 Winston-Salem, NC?

BLS wage estimates for fast food or counter workers in Winston-Salem, NC run from $21,430 at the 10th percentile to $24,120 at the 25th, $34,100 at the 75th, and $36,580 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 Winston-Salem, NC?

On a median gross salary of $28,640, an estimated $24,558 lands in net take-home pay per year ($945 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in North Carolina in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $4,082 (an effective rate of 14.3%).

How much do fast food or counter workers make per month in Winston-Salem, NC?

On the median annual salary of $28,640, gross monthly income is $2,387. After federal, FICA, and North Carolina state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,047 per month (or $945 every two weeks).

Is $28,640 a good salary in Winston-Salem, NC?

At $28,640, the median salary for fast food or counter workers is 43.4% of the Winston-Salem, NC median household income ($65,975). It is 38% below the $46,380 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 92.0, so prices here run 8% below the U.S. average.