Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Flagstaff, AZ

Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Flagstaff, AZ metro area earn a median $33,690 a year — 8% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $28,616 take-home, or $2,385 a month.

Median salary
$33,690
$16.20 per hour
Typical range
$31,070 – $44,590
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Flagstaff, AZ
2,790
1.69× national concentration
▲1.3%
Pay trend: The median for fast food and counter workers in Flagstaff, AZ rose from $33,250 (May 2024) to $33,690 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.1%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median fast food and counter worker salary in Flagstaff, AZ. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Fast Food and Counter Worker in Flagstaff, AZ
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$28,616
per year · effective tax rate 15.1%
$2,385Monthly
$1,192Twice a month
$1,101Every 2 weeks
$13.76Hourly
  • Federal income tax$1,863
  • Social Security (6.2%)$2,089
  • Medicare (1.45%)$489
  • Arizona income tax$634
  • Take-home pay$28,616

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.50% state

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Flagstaff, AZ

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$31,070$14.94$26,577$2,215
25th percentile$32,870$15.80$27,978$2,332
Median (50th)$33,690$16.20$28,616$2,385
75th percentile$35,790$17.21$30,251$2,521
90th percentile (top earners)$44,590$21.44$37,102$3,092

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Arizona resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $33,690 buys in Flagstaff, AZ

Prices in Flagstaff, AZ are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.09× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $28,616 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,524 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,727
72% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,921
81% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$658
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Flagstaff, AZ has 1.7× the national concentration of fast food and counter worker jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for fast food and counter workers, adjusted for cost of living

Flagstaff, AZ ranks #54 of 241 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Modesto, CA $42,630$35,184$33,796
2Vallejo, CA $44,110$36,295$33,458
3Santa Rosa, CA $43,610$35,920$33,326
4San Jose, CA $44,570$36,640$33,182
5Sacramento, CA $42,860$35,357$33,146
6Stockton, CA $41,740$34,517$32,845
7Riverside, CA $42,280$34,922$32,808
8Salinas, CA $43,260$35,657$32,701
54Flagstaff, AZ$33,690$28,616$28,524

*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.

Fast Food and Counter Worker salaries elsewhere in Arizona

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fast food and counter worker make in Flagstaff, AZ?

The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Flagstaff, AZ metro area is $33,690 a year, or about $16.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $32,870 and $35,790.

What is a fast food and counter worker’s take-home pay in Flagstaff, AZ?

On the median $33,690 salary, a single filer living in Arizona takes home about $28,616 a year ($2,385 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $634 in Arizona taxes in 2026.

Is Flagstaff, AZ a good place to work as a fast food and counter worker?

Pay here is 8% above the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,524 would in a typical U.S. city. Flagstaff, AZ ranks #54 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Flagstaff, AZ?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Flagstaff, AZ is $1,727 a month ($1,921 for two bedrooms) — 72% of a median fast food and counter worker’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Cost of living & all salaries in Flagstaff, AZ →