Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Philadelphia, PA
Cooks, Fast Food in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median $32,220 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $27,080 take-home, or $2,257 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Philadelphia, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,686
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,998
- Medicare (1.45%)$467
- Pennsylvania income tax$989
- Take-home pay$27,080
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state
Living in Philadelphia? City residents also pay Philadelphia’s Resident Wage Tax — about $1,205 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $25,875 ($2,156 a month). Choose “Philadelphia” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. 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 Philadelphia, PA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $24,850 | $11.95 | $21,311 | $1,776 |
| 25th percentile | $28,840 | $13.87 | $24,468 | $2,039 |
| Median (50th) | $32,220 | $15.49 | $27,080 | $2,257 |
| 75th percentile | $38,070 | $18.30 | $31,600 | $2,633 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,430 | $22.32 | $38,061 | $3,172 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $32,220 buys in Philadelphia, PA
Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 2.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.13× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $27,080 take-home pay has the buying power of $26,405 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Cooks, Fast Food jobs are less concentrated in Philadelphia, PA than nationally (location quotient 0.34), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Philadelphia, PA ranks #31 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 |
| 31 | Philadelphia, PA | $32,220 | $27,080 | $26,405 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Philadelphia, PA?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area is $32,220 a year, or about $15.49 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $28,840 and $38,070.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA?
On the median $32,220 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $27,080 a year ($2,257 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $989 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.
Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 4% above the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 2.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $26,405 would in a typical U.S. city. Philadelphia, PA ranks #31 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Philadelphia, PA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Philadelphia, PA is $1,520 a month ($1,810 for two bedrooms) — 67% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Philadelphia, PA
- Chef and Head Cook — $65,680
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $46,580
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $38,870
- Cooks, Restaurant — $38,270
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,570
- Bartender — $36,040
- Food Preparation Worker — $34,560
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $33,300
- Dishwasher — $33,270
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $32,220
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $32,220
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $32,220