SOC 35-3023 · Wheeling, WV-OH metro

Fast Food and Counter Workers Salary in Wheeling, WV

The average salary for fast food and counter workers in Wheeling, West Virginia is $26,190 a year ($12.59 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $26,150: half of the 1,300 people in this job in the Wheeling, WV-OH metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($32,150).

$26,190average per year

$12.59 / hourMedian $26,150Take-home ≈ $22,568

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $31K90th

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

1,300people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#3 of 7West Virginia metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Fast Food and Counter Workers pay range in Wheeling

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,260 a year or less, while the top 10% make $30,800 or more. The middle half of fast food and counter workers in Wheeling earn between $23,050 and $27,780.

  • $22K10th
  • $23K25th
  • $26KMedian
  • $28K75th
  • $31K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$26,190$2,182$12.59
Median$26,150$2,179$12.57
Entry level (25th percentile)$23,050$1,921$11.08
Experienced (75th percentile)$27,780$2,315$13.36

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

Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Wheeling vs. West Virginia and the U.S.

Fast food and counter workers in Wheeling earn about the same as the West Virginia average ($26,780) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($32,150). At the median the gap is -16% against the U.S. median of $31,200.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Wheeling$26,190$26,150$22,260$30,8001,300
West Virginia$26,780$26,070$18,750$35,1506,240
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 Wheeling

On the average salary of $26,190, a single filer in Wheeling takes home about $22,568 a year, or $1,881 a month and $868 every two weeks. Taxes take 14% of gross pay.

The Wheeling, WV-OH metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in OH$23,177$1,931
Working in WV$22,568$1,881

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

West Virginia paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Wheeling area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.3), so the average $26,190 buys what about $29,653 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Wheeling ($44,250). A typical home costs $141,852, or 5.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $26,190 is worth in another city

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in other West Virginia cities

Wheeling ranks 3rd of 7 West Virginia metro areas for this job; Beckley pays the most ($26,910).

All Fast Food and Counter Workers salaries in West Virginia

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 Wheeling, WV.

Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Wheeling: questions

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

$12.59 an hour on average, and $12.57 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $22,260 a year and the 25th percentile is $23,050, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $22,568 a year ($1,881 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $26,190.

Do fast food and counter workers earn more in Wheeling 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 Wheeling, WV-OH (48540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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