Mapped: Fast Food Wages in Every U.S. State

Mapped: Fast Food Wages in Every U.S. State

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Nearly four million Americans work in fast food occupations, making the industry one of the nation’s largest sources of employment.

In 2025, the median fast food worker earns just $10.87 an hour in Mississippi, compared with $20.33 in California—an 87% difference for the same occupation.

This map uses Bureau of Labor Statistics data to compare median fast food wages across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., highlighting where workers earn the most and least across America.

Ranked: Fast Food Wages by State

Fast food wages vary widely across the country, with West Coast and Northeastern states generally reporting the highest pay levels.

The gap is large enough to reshape annual earnings. A full-time fast food worker earning the median wage would make roughly $42,000 a year in California, compared with about $22,600 in Mississippi, a difference of nearly $20,000 for the same occupation.

The following table shows the median hourly wage of fast food workers by state.

Rank	State	Median Hourly Fast Food Wage 2025	Total Employment
1	California	$20.33	450K
2	Washington	$18.13	95K
3	District of Columbia	$18.00	6K
4	Colorado	$17.44	82K
5	Vermont	$17.32	7K
6	Massachusetts	$17.24	86K
7	Connecticut	$17.01	36K
8	Hawaii	$16.95	24K
9	New York	$16.95	169K
10	Oregon	$16.85	60K
11	Maine	$16.69	17K
12	Arizona	$16.46	77K
13	New Jersey	$16.42	94K
14	Illinois	$16.30	128K
15	Maryland	$16.18	49K
16	Alaska	$16.00	6K
17	Nevada	$15.36	46K
18	New Hampshire	$15.19	15K
19	Rhode Island	$15.14	13K
20	Minnesota	$15.08	59K
21	Delaware	$15.05	13K
22	Missouri	$14.61	29K
23	Virginia	$14.48	104K
24	North Dakota	$14.46	11K
25	South Dakota	$14.18	15K
26	Florida	$13.98	235K
27	Montana	$13.98	15K
28	Nebraska	$13.94	30K
29	Idaho	$13.91	26K
30	Michigan	$13.91	103K
31	Indiana	$13.84	97K
32	New Mexico	$13.80	28K
33	Utah	$13.78	52K
34	Wisconsin	$13.75	68K
35	North Carolina	$13.74	92K
36	Pennsylvania	$13.74	142K
37	Ohio	$13.67	164K
38	Iowa	$13.65	40K
39	Wyoming	$13.40	7K
40	Texas	$13.34	461K
41	Kansas	$13.26	47K
42	South Carolina	$13.23	65K
43	Tennessee	$13.21	91K
44	Kentucky	$13.04	42K
45	Georgia	$12.94	145K
46	Arkansas	$12.62	36K
47	West Virginia	$12.54	6K
48	Alabama	$11.40	41K
49	Oklahoma	$11.27	53K
50	Louisiana	$10.96	46K
51	Mississippi	$10.87	31K
—	United States	$14.70	3.9M

Why Fast Food Pay Varies Across America

States along the West Coast and in the Northeast dominate the top of the rankings, while much of the South clusters near the bottom. California leads the nation, while Washington, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Connecticut also rank among the highest-paying states.

By contrast, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Oklahoma all report median hourly wages below $12.

Geography is one of the biggest factors shaping fast food pay in America. While cost of living explains part of the gap, state minimum wage laws, labor shortages, and local competition for workers also influence how much employers are willing to pay.

Why California Tops the Ranking

California’s leading position is partly driven by a landmark law that established a $20 minimum wage for many fast food workers beginning in 2024. The policy affected hundreds of thousands of employees across one of the nation’s largest restaurant markets.

Supporters argue the increase helps workers keep pace with rising housing, transportation, and living costs. Critics contend it raises operating expenses for restaurant owners and could contribute to higher menu prices.

Regardless of the debate surrounding the policy, its impact is visible in the data. California’s fast food workers now earn a median wage above $20 an hour, a level unmatched by any other state.

Where Fast Food Employs the Most Workers

While California pays the highest wages, Texas employs more fast food workers than any other state.

Overall, Texas has roughly 461,000 fast food workers, narrowly ahead of California’s 450,000. Florida ranks third with 235,000 workers, followed by New York and Ohio.

Together, these five states account for more than 1.4 million fast food jobs, or roughly one-third of the industry’s national workforce.

The contrast between Texas and California is especially striking. Although the two states employ a similar number of fast food workers, the typical worker in California earns about $14,500 more per year than a counterpart in Texas based on median wages.

One of America’s Largest Industries

Nearly 3.9 million Americans work in fast food occupations, making it one of the country’s largest employment categories. If the industry’s workforce were a state, it would be larger than the populations of Connecticut and Utah.

Because the workforce is so large, changes in fast food pay can have effects far beyond the restaurant industry. Wage increases influence household incomes, hiring costs, consumer spending, and local labor markets.

The sector’s reach is especially visible in smaller states and communities where fast food jobs account for a significant share of employment. In 17 states, fast food occupations employ more workers than any other job category.

That helps explain why debates over fast food pay often attract national attention. Even modest wage changes can affect hundreds of thousands of workers and businesses.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the 30 highest-paying jobs in America.

• Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-fast-food-wages-in-every-u-s-state/