Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Kansas City, MO
Cooks, Fast Food in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area earn a median $30,170 a year — 2% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $25,941 take-home, or $2,162 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Kansas City, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,440
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,871
- Medicare (1.45%)$437
- Missouri income tax$481
- Take-home pay$25,941
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in Kansas City, MO? City residents also pay Kansas City, MO’s Earnings Tax — about $302 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $25,639 ($2,137 a month). Choose “Kansas City, MO” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Kansas City, MO-KS metro spans Missouri, Kansas. 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 Kansas City, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $29,180 | $14.03 | $25,192 | $2,099 |
| 25th percentile | $29,850 | $14.35 | $25,699 | $2,142 |
| Median (50th) | $30,170 | $14.50 | $25,941 | $2,162 |
| 75th percentile | $31,700 | $15.24 | $27,098 | $2,258 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $34,800 | $16.73 | $29,444 | $2,454 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $30,170 buys in Kansas City, MO
Prices in Kansas City, MO are 7.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 13% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $25,941 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,031 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Kansas City, MO has 3.1× 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
Kansas City, MO ranks #18 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 |
| 18 | Kansas City, MO | $30,170 | $25,941 | $28,031 |
*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 Missouri
- Springfield, MO — $29,190
- Columbia, MO — $29,110
- St. Louis, MO — $30,860
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in Kansas City, MO?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area is $30,170 a year, or about $14.50 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $29,850 and $31,700.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Kansas City, MO?
On the median $30,170 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $25,941 a year ($2,162 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $481 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is Kansas City, MO a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 2% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 7.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,031 would in a typical U.S. city. Kansas City, MO ranks #18 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Kansas City, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Kansas City, MO is $1,193 a month ($1,355 for two bedrooms) — 55% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Kansas City, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $39,210
- Cooks, Restaurant — $37,370
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,080
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $36,080
- Dishwasher — $34,800
- Food Preparation Worker — $32,230
- Bartender — $30,300
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $30,200
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $29,560
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $29,280