Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Dallas, TX
Cooks, Fast Food in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area earn a median $30,010 a year — 3% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $26,293 take-home, or $2,191 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Dallas, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,421
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,861
- Medicare (1.45%)$435
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$26,293
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in Dallas, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $23,350 | $11.23 | $20,839 | $1,737 |
| 25th percentile | $26,800 | $12.88 | $23,680 | $1,973 |
| Median (50th) | $30,010 | $14.43 | $26,293 | $2,191 |
| 75th percentile | $37,730 | $18.14 | $32,496 | $2,708 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $43,400 | $20.87 | $37,052 | $3,088 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $30,010 buys in Dallas, TX
Prices in Dallas, TX are 3.1% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $26,293 take-home pay has the buying power of $25,505 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 Dallas, TX than nationally (location quotient 0.39), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Dallas, TX ranks #39 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 |
| 39 | Dallas, TX | $30,010 | $26,293 | $25,505 |
*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 Texas
- Austin, TX — $38,560
- San Antonio, TX — $30,110
- Houston, TX — $23,090
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Dallas, TX?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area is $30,010 a year, or about $14.43 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $26,800 and $37,730.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Dallas, TX?
On the median $30,010 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $26,293 a year ($2,191 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Dallas, TX a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 3% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 3.1% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $25,505 would in a typical U.S. city. Dallas, TX ranks #39 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Dallas, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Dallas, TX is $1,586 a month ($1,858 for two bedrooms) — 72% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Dallas, TX
- Chef and Head Cook — $64,100
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $37,730
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $37,370
- Cooks, Restaurant — $36,490
- Dishwasher — $31,200
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $31,160
- Food Preparation Worker — $30,740
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $28,890
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $28,070
- Bartender — $24,170
- Waiter and Waitress — $24,160
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $21,050