Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Louisville, KY
Cooks, Fast Food in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn a median $26,990 a year — 13% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $23,009 take-home, or $1,917 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Louisville, KY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,089
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,673
- Medicare (1.45%)$391
- Kentucky income tax$827
- Take-home pay$23,009
Marginal rate: 10% federal + 3.50% state
The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro spans Kentucky, Indiana. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in Louisville, KY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $21,990 | $10.57 | $19,067 | $1,589 |
| 25th percentile | $22,080 | $10.62 | $19,138 | $1,595 |
| Median (50th) | $26,990 | $12.98 | $23,009 | $1,917 |
| 75th percentile | $28,640 | $13.77 | $24,307 | $2,026 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $35,050 | $16.85 | $29,234 | $2,436 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Kentucky resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $26,990 buys in Louisville, KY
Prices in Louisville, KY are 6.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $23,009 take-home pay has the buying power of $24,721 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Louisville, KY has 1.8× the national concentration of cooks, fast food jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Louisville, KY ranks #42 of 53 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $47,220 | $38,625 | $34,979 |
| 2 | Bakersfield, CA | $41,480 | $34,321 | $34,020 |
| 3 | Austin, TX | $38,560 | $33,163 | $33,817 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $44,030 | $37,558 | $33,796 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | $46,670 | $38,217 | $33,056 |
| 6 | Riverside, CA | $42,480 | $35,072 | $32,949 |
| 7 | Sacramento, CA | $42,210 | $34,869 | $32,689 |
| 8 | Fresno, CA | $39,620 | $32,925 | $32,230 |
| 42 | Louisville, KY | $26,990 | $23,009 | $24,721 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 53 metros →
About the job: cooks, fast food
Prepare and cook food in a fast food restaurant with a limited menu. Duties of these cooks are limited to preparation of a few basic items and normally involve operating large-volume single-purpose cooking equipment.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +0.6% (slower than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Cooks, Fast Food salaries elsewhere in Kentucky
- Lexington, KY — $26,840
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Louisville, KY?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area is $26,990 a year, or about $12.98 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $22,080 and $28,640.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Louisville, KY?
On the median $26,990 salary, a single filer living in Kentucky takes home about $23,009 a year ($1,917 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $827 in Kentucky taxes in 2026.
Is Louisville, KY a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 13% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 6.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $24,721 would in a typical U.S. city. Louisville, KY ranks #42 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Louisville, KY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Louisville, KY is $1,026 a month ($1,248 for two bedrooms) — 54% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Louisville, KY
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,800
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $37,370
- Cooks, Restaurant — $35,950
- Waiter and Waitress — $30,180
- Food Preparation Worker — $29,640
- Bartender — $29,120
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $28,690