Fast Food and Counter Workers
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
Also called: Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Bakery Associate, Barista, Bistro Team Member, Cafe Server, Cafe Worker
Median pay
$31,200
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$22,840 – $42,650
People employed
3,854,050
Holland code
CRS
Conventional · Realistic · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you prefer a steady pace without constant deadlines?
- 2.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 3.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 4.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 5.Do you want to stay at 40 hours a week or less?
- 6.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
Fast Food and Counter Workers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What fast food and counter workers do
- 01Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- 02Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- 03Perform personnel activities, such as supervising and training employees.
- 04Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- 05Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- 06Add relishes and garnishes to food orders, according to instructions.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Learning Strategies
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Food Production
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from fast food and counter workers
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers91% · +9%
- Cooks, Fast Food86% · −1%
- Food Preparation Workers83% · +13%
- Cooks, Short Order81% · +15%
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop81% · 0%
Change into fast food and counter workers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers91% · $33,980
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop87% · $31,200
- Cooks, Fast Food86% · $30,890
- Food Preparation Workers82% · $35,320
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners80% · $35,510