Cooks, Fast Food pay range in Rapid City
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $34,690 or more. The middle half of cooks, fast food in Rapid City earn between $27,510 and $33,660.
- $25K10th
- $28K25th
- $31KMedian
- $34K75th
- $35K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $30,300 | $2,525 | $14.57 |
| Median | $31,190 | $2,599 | $15.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $27,510 | $2,292 | $13.23 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $33,660 | $2,805 | $16.18 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Cooks, Fast Food pay in Rapid City vs. South Dakota and the U.S.
Cooks, fast food in Rapid City earn about the same as the South Dakota average ($31,230) and 6% less than the U.S. average ($32,390). At the median the gap is +1% against the U.S. median of $30,890.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | $30,300 | $31,190 | $24,960 | $34,690 | 320 |
| South Dakota | $31,230 | $30,950 | $25,410 | $34,910 | 1,720 |
| United States | $32,390 | $30,890 | $22,580 | $42,910 | 641,070 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Cooks, Fast Food salary after taxes in Rapid City
On the average salary of $30,300, a single filer in Rapid City takes home about $26,526 a year, or $2,211 a month and $1,020 every two weeks. Taxes take 12% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
Is Rapid City a good place for cooks, fast food? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Rapid City area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 89.2), so the average $30,300 buys what about $33,984 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Rapid City ($46,270). A typical home costs $374,117, or 12.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Cooks, Fast Food salary in other South Dakota cities
Rapid City ranks 2nd of 2 South Dakota metro areas for this job; Sioux Falls pays the most ($31,520).
- Sioux Falls$31,520
- Rapid City$30,300
Highest-paying cities for cooks, fast food
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($46,590).
- San Francisco, CA$46,590
- San Jose, CA$46,530
- Vallejo, CA$44,360
- Napa, CA$43,910
- Seattle, WA$43,770
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Cooks, Fast Food salary in Rapid City: questions
How much do cooks, fast food make an hour in Rapid City?
$14.57 an hour on average, and $14.99 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level cooks, fast food salary in Rapid City?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $27,510, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the cooks, fast food take-home pay in Rapid City?
About $26,526 a year ($2,211 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $30,300. South Dakota has no state income tax.
Do cooks, fast food earn more in Rapid City than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,390).
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 35-2011; area Rapid City, SD (39660). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.2%.
- 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 no state income tax.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.04, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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