SOC 35-3023 · Cedar Rapids, IA metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Cedar Rapids, IA

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa is $28,880 a year ($13.88 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $28,280: half of the 3,590 people in this job in the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$28,880average per year

$13.88 / hourMedian $28,280Take-home ≈ $24,899

  • $22K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

3,590people in this job
-10%vs U.S. average
#7 of 8Iowa metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Cedar Rapids

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,860 a year or less, while the top 10% make $35,820 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Cedar Rapids earn between $26,550 and $33,680.

  • $22K10th
  • $27K25th
  • $28KMedian
  • $34K75th
  • $36K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$28,880$2,407$13.88
Median$28,280$2,357$13.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$26,550$2,212$12.76
Experienced (75th percentile)$33,680$2,807$16.19

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Cedar Rapids vs. Iowa and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Cedar Rapids earn about the same as the Iowa average ($28,940) and 10% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -9% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cedar Rapids$28,880$28,280$21,860$35,8203,590
Iowa$28,940$28,390$21,620$35,99040,290
United States$32,150$31,200$22,840$42,6503,854,050

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary after taxes in Cedar Rapids

On the average salary of $28,880, a single filer in Cedar Rapids takes home about $24,899 a year, or $2,075 a month and $958 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Iowa paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cedar Rapids a good place for fast food and counter workers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cedar Rapids area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.0), so the average $28,880 buys what about $32,463 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Cedar Rapids ($49,360). A typical home costs $244,344, or 8.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $28,880 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Iowa cities

Cedar Rapids ranks 7th of 8 Iowa metro areas for this job; Davenport pays the most ($30,390).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Iowa

Highest-paying cities for fast food and counter workers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($44,980).

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by city

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Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Cedar Rapids: questions

How much do fast food and counter workers make an hour in Cedar Rapids?

$13.88 an hour on average, and $13.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level fast food and counter workers salary in Cedar Rapids?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,860 a year and the 25th percentile is $26,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the fast food and counter workers take-home pay in Cedar Rapids?

About $24,899 a year ($2,075 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $28,880. Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.

Do fast food and counter workers earn more in Cedar Rapids than elsewhere?

The average here is 10% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 35-3023; area Cedar Rapids, IA (16300). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Iowa school district surtaxes (a percentage of state tax in some districts) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.04, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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