Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Cincinnati, OH
Cooks, Fast Food in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area earn a median $28,930 a year — 6% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $25,412 take-home, or $2,118 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Cincinnati, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,292
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,794
- Medicare (1.45%)$419
- Ohio income tax$13
- Take-home pay$25,412
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Cincinnati? City residents also pay Cincinnati’s city income tax — about $521 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $24,891 ($2,074 a month). Choose “Cincinnati” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro spans Ohio, 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 Cincinnati, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $22,860 | $10.99 | $20,435 | $1,703 |
| 25th percentile | $26,520 | $12.75 | $23,449 | $1,954 |
| Median (50th) | $28,930 | $13.91 | $25,412 | $2,118 |
| 75th percentile | $30,540 | $14.68 | $26,661 | $2,222 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $37,130 | $17.85 | $31,775 | $2,648 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $28,930 buys in Cincinnati, OH
Prices in Cincinnati, OH are 4.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 12% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $25,412 take-home pay has the buying power of $26,646 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 about as common in Cincinnati, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.09).
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Cincinnati, OH ranks #28 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 |
| 28 | Cincinnati, OH | $28,930 | $25,412 | $26,646 |
*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 Cincinnati, OH?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN metro area is $28,930 a year, or about $13.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $26,520 and $30,540.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Cincinnati, OH?
On the median $28,930 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $25,412 a year ($2,118 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $13 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Cincinnati, OH a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 6% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 4.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $26,646 would in a typical U.S. city. Cincinnati, OH ranks #28 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Cincinnati, OH?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Cincinnati, OH is $1,043 a month ($1,342 for two bedrooms) — 49% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Cincinnati, OH
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,370
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $37,180
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,530
- Cooks, Restaurant — $36,030
- Food Preparation Worker — $34,320
- Bartender — $34,240
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $32,070
- Dishwasher — $30,740
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $29,890
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $29,720
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $29,350