Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Baltimore, MD
Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area earn a median $33,090 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $27,560 take-home, or $2,297 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median fast food and counter worker salary in Baltimore, MD. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$1,791
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,052
- Medicare (1.45%)$480
- Maryland income tax$1,208
- Take-home pay$27,560
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.75% state
Living in Baltimore City? City residents also pay Baltimore City’s city income tax — about $849 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $26,710 ($2,226 a month). Choose “Baltimore City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Baltimore, MD
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $31,200 | $15.00 | $26,131 | $2,178 |
| 25th percentile | $31,340 | $15.07 | $26,237 | $2,186 |
| Median (50th) | $33,090 | $15.91 | $27,560 | $2,297 |
| 75th percentile | $34,730 | $16.70 | $28,800 | $2,400 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $36,150 | $17.38 | $29,873 | $2,489 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Maryland resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $33,090 buys in Baltimore, MD
Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.5% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.18× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $27,560 take-home pay has the buying power of $26,376 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Fast Food and Counter Worker jobs are less concentrated in Baltimore, MD than nationally (location quotient 0.63), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for fast food and counter workers, adjusted for cost of living
Baltimore, MD ranks #120 of 241 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Modesto, CA | $42,630 | $35,184 | $33,796 |
| 2 | Vallejo, CA | $44,110 | $36,295 | $33,458 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $43,610 | $35,920 | $33,326 |
| 4 | San Jose, CA | $44,570 | $36,640 | $33,182 |
| 5 | Sacramento, CA | $42,860 | $35,357 | $33,146 |
| 6 | Stockton, CA | $41,740 | $34,517 | $32,845 |
| 7 | Riverside, CA | $42,280 | $34,922 | $32,808 |
| 8 | Salinas, CA | $43,260 | $35,657 | $32,701 |
| 120 | Baltimore, MD | $33,090 | $27,560 | $26,376 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 241 metros →
About the job: fast food and counter workers
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages. Counter attendants who also wait tables are included in "Waiters and Waitresses" (35-3031),
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +5.8% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a fast food and counter worker make in Baltimore, MD?
The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area is $33,090 a year, or about $15.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $31,340 and $34,730.
What is a fast food and counter worker’s take-home pay in Baltimore, MD?
On the median $33,090 salary, a single filer living in Maryland takes home about $27,560 a year ($2,297 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,208 in Maryland taxes in 2026.
Is Baltimore, MD a good place to work as a fast food and counter worker?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 4.5% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $26,376 would in a typical U.S. city. Baltimore, MD ranks #120 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Baltimore, MD?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Baltimore, MD is $1,511 a month ($1,857 for two bedrooms) — 66% of a median fast food and counter worker’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Baltimore, MD
- First-Line Supervisor of Food Preparation and Serving Workers — $38,760
- Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendant and Bartender Helper — $37,540
- Cooks, Restaurant — $37,420
- Bartender — $37,360
- Waiter and Waitress — $36,170
- Food Servers, Nonrestaurant — $35,710
- Food Preparation Worker — $35,080
- Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop — $34,320
- Cooks, Fast Food — $33,290
- Dishwasher — $33,280