Fast Food and Counter Workers
Also called: Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Bakery Associate, Barista, Bistro Team Member, Cafe Server, Cafe Worker, Cafeteria Food Server, Cafeteria Lunchroom Counter Attendant
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages.
What fast food and counter workers do
Typical tasks
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Monitor and order supplies or food items, and restock as necessary to maintain inventory.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
- Brew coffee and tea, and fill containers with requested beverages.
- Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
- Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
- Prepare and serve cold drinks, frozen milk drinks, or desserts, using drink-dispensing, milkshake, or frozen-custard machines.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary
The median annual wage for fast food and counter workers is $31,200 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $22,840 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $42,650. The mean annual wage is $32,150.
The mean hourly wage of $15.00 is 2.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Fast Food and Counter Workers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $31,200 → in 3 years $34,300 → in 5 years $36,600 → in 10 years $42,900 (10-year range $36,900–$49,800). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Fast Food and Counter Workers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Fast Food and Counter Workers United States | ベーカリーショップ店員 Japan | カフェ店員 Japan | 飲食チェーン店店員 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $31,200 | ¥3.85M ≈ $24,468 | ¥3.85M ≈ $24,468 | ¥3.71M ≈ $23,592 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $42,900 | ¥5.34M | ¥5.29M | ¥5.11M |
| Outlook score | 57 | 58 | 53 | 52 |
| AI replacement risk | 30% Low | 23% Low | 34% Low | 25% Low |
| Workers | 3.9M | — | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Fast Food and Counter Workers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become fast food and counter workers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as fast food and counter workers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.