Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Houston, TX
Cooks, Fast Food in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area earn a median $23,090 a year — 25% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $20,625 take-home, or $1,719 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Houston, TX. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$699
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,432
- Medicare (1.45%)$335
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$20,625
Marginal rate: 10% 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 Houston, TX
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $21,530 | $10.35 | $19,340 | $1,612 |
| 25th percentile | $22,690 | $10.91 | $20,295 | $1,691 |
| Median (50th) | $23,090 | $11.10 | $20,625 | $1,719 |
| 75th percentile | $29,010 | $13.95 | $25,490 | $2,124 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $38,210 | $18.37 | $32,882 | $2,740 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Texas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $23,090 buys in Houston, TX
Prices in Houston, TX are 1.4% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.05× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $20,625 take-home pay has the buying power of $20,911 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 Houston, TX than nationally (location quotient 0.59), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for cooks, fast food, adjusted for cost of living
Houston, TX ranks #53 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 |
| 53 | Houston, TX | $23,090 | $20,625 | $20,911 |
*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
- Dallas, TX — $30,010
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Houston, TX?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area is $23,090 a year, or about $11.10 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $22,690 and $29,010.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Houston, TX?
On the median $23,090 salary, a single filer living in Texas takes home about $20,625 a year ($1,719 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare in 2026.
Is Houston, TX a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 25% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 1.4% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $20,911 would in a typical U.S. city. Houston, TX ranks #53 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Houston, TX?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Houston, TX is $1,316 a month ($1,558 for two bedrooms) — 77% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Houston, TX
- Chef and Head Cook — $45,400
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $36,410
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $35,660
- Cooks, Restaurant — $35,050
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,020
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $29,050
- Dishwasher — $28,600
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,570
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $26,730
- Bartender — $22,770
- Waiter and Waitress — $22,080
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $21,850