Cooks, Fast Food Salary in St. Louis, MO
Cooks, Fast Food in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $30,860 a year — 0% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $26,463 take-home, or $2,205 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median cooks, fast food salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,523
- Social Security (6.2%)$1,913
- Medicare (1.45%)$447
- Missouri income tax$513
- Take-home pay$26,463
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $309 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $26,154 ($2,180 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. 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 St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $29,510 | $14.19 | $25,442 | $2,120 |
| 25th percentile | $30,250 | $14.54 | $26,001 | $2,167 |
| Median (50th) | $30,860 | $14.84 | $26,463 | $2,205 |
| 75th percentile | $33,800 | $16.25 | $28,687 | $2,391 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $36,450 | $17.52 | $30,692 | $2,558 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $30,860 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median cooks, fast food's $26,463 take-home pay has the buying power of $27,830 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
St. Louis, MO has 3.2× 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
St. Louis, MO ranks #22 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 |
| 22 | St. Louis, MO | $30,860 | $26,463 | $27,830 |
*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
- Kansas City, MO — $30,170
Frequently asked questions
How much does a cooks, fast food make in St. Louis, MO?
The median cooks, fast food salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $30,860 a year, or about $14.84 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $30,250 and $33,800.
What is a cooks, fast food’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $30,860 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $26,463 a year ($2,205 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $513 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a cooks, fast food?
Pay here is 0% below the national median of $30,890. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $27,830 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #22 of 53 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a cooks, fast food afford rent in St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 45% of a median cooks, fast food’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in St. Louis, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,520
- Cooks, Restaurant — $37,690
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria — $36,200
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $34,340
- Food Preparation Worker — $32,400
- Dishwasher — $32,180
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $31,930
- Fast Food and Counter Worker — $31,260
- Waiter and Waitress — $31,200
- Bartender — $31,200
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $31,200