SOC 35-3023 · Owensboro, KY metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Owensboro, KY

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Owensboro, Kentucky is $26,070 a year ($12.53 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $26,750: half of the 1,080 people in this job in the Owensboro, KY metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$26,070average per year

$12.53 / hourMedian $26,750Take-home ≈ $21,820

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $34K90th

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

1,080people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#6 of 6Kentucky metros
89cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Owensboro

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,830 a year or less, while the top 10% make $33,710 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Owensboro earn between $22,690 and $28,100.

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $27KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $34K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,070$2,172$12.53
Median$26,750$2,229$12.86
Entry level (25th percentile)$22,690$1,891$10.91
Experienced (75th percentile)$28,100$2,342$13.51

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Owensboro vs. Kentucky and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Owensboro earn 3% less than the Kentucky average ($26,890) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -14% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Owensboro$26,070$26,750$21,830$33,7101,080
Kentucky$26,890$27,130$21,590$34,42041,860
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 Owensboro

On the average salary of $26,070, a single filer in Owensboro takes home about $21,820 a year, or $1,818 a month and $839 every two weeks. Taxes take 16% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).

Kentucky paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Owensboro area are 11% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.6), so the average $26,070 buys what about $29,421 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Owensboro ($44,960). A typical home costs $213,657, or 8.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,070 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other Kentucky cities

Owensboro ranks 6th of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Louisville pays the most ($28,750).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in Kentucky

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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Reviewed before it counts. Fast Food and Counter Workers in Owensboro, KY.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Owensboro: questions

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

$12.53 an hour on average, and $12.86 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $21,830 a year and the 25th percentile is $22,690, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $21,820 a year ($1,818 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,070. Includes Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).

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

The average here is 19% 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 Owensboro, KY (36980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • 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). Includes Owensboro's local income tax (1.78%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.88, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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