Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Huntington, WV
Cooks, Fast Food in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area earn a median $22,610 a year — 27% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $19,693 take-home, or $1,641 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Huntington, WV. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$651
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,402
- Medicare (1.45%)$328
- West Virginia income tax$536
- Take-home pay$19,693
Marginal rate: 10% federal + 2.96% state
The Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro spans West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio. 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 Huntington, WV
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $21,010 | $10.10 | $18,423 | $1,535 |
| 25th percentile | $22,090 | $10.62 | $19,280 | $1,607 |
| Median (50th) | $22,610 | $10.87 | $19,693 | $1,641 |
| 75th percentile | $26,710 | $12.84 | $22,948 | $1,912 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $27,680 | $13.31 | $23,716 | $1,976 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, West Virginia resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $22,610 buys in Huntington, WV
Prices in Huntington, WV are 11.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 49% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $19,693 take-home pay has the buying power of $22,272 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Huntington, WV has 5.3× 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
Huntington, WV ranks #50 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 |
| 50 | Huntington, WV | $22,610 | $19,693 | $22,272 |
*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 Huntington, WV?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area is $22,610 a year, or about $10.87 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $22,090 and $26,710.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Huntington, WV?
On the median $22,610 salary, a single filer living in West Virginia takes home about $19,693 a year ($1,641 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $536 in West Virginia taxes in 2026.
Is Huntington, WV a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 27% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 11.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $22,272 would in a typical U.S. city. Huntington, WV ranks #50 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Huntington, WV?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Huntington, WV is $829 a month ($976 for two bedrooms) — 51% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Huntington, WV
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $23,500