Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Little Rock, AR
Cooks, Fast Food in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area earn a median $28,580 a year — 7% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $24,242 take-home, or $2,020 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in Little Rock, AR. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,250
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,772
- Medicare (1.45%)$414
- Arkansas income tax$902
- Take-home pay$24,242
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.90% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience in Little Rock, AR
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $24,210 | $11.64 | $20,815 | $1,735 |
| 25th percentile | $26,780 | $12.88 | $22,832 | $1,903 |
| Median (50th) | $28,580 | $13.74 | $24,242 | $2,020 |
| 75th percentile | $29,900 | $14.38 | $25,251 | $2,104 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $31,200 | $15.00 | $26,245 | $2,187 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Arkansas resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $28,580 buys in Little Rock, AR
Prices in Little Rock, AR are 10.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 32% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $24,242 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,127 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Little Rock, AR has 2.1× 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
Little Rock, AR ranks #25 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 |
| 25 | Little Rock, AR | $28,580 | $24,242 | $27,127 |
*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 Little Rock, AR?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area is $28,580 a year, or about $13.74 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $26,780 and $29,900.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in Little Rock, AR?
On the median $28,580 salary, a single filer living in Arkansas takes home about $24,242 a year ($2,020 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $902 in Arkansas taxes in 2026.
Is Little Rock, AR a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 7% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 10.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,127 would in a typical U.S. city. Little Rock, AR ranks #25 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in Little Rock, AR?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Little Rock, AR is $984 a month ($1,143 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 Little Rock, AR
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $34,320
- Cooks, Restaurant — $30,690
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $27,470
- Waiter and Waitress — $24,610