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

Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Gulfport, MS

Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metro area earn a median $22,820 a year — 27% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $20,221 take-home, or $1,685 a month.

Median salary
$22,820
$10.97 per hour
Typical range
$19,050 – $32,250
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Gulfport, MS
3,520
0.90× national concentration
▲1.7%
Pay trend: The median for fast food and counter workers in Gulfport, MS rose from $22,430 (May 2024) to $22,820 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 0.7%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker in Gulfport, MS
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$20,221
per year · effective tax rate 11.4%
$1,685Monthly
$843Twice a month
$778Every 2 weeks
$9.72Hourly
  • Federal income tax$672
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,415
  • Medicare (1.45%)$331
  • Mississippi income tax$181
  • Take-home pay$20,221

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 4.00% state

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Gulfport, MS

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$19,050$9.16$17,268$1,439
25th percentile$21,650$10.41$19,305$1,609
Median (50th)$22,820$10.97$20,221$1,685
75th percentile$27,340$13.14$23,763$1,980
90th percentile (top earners)$32,250$15.50$27,535$2,295

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

What $22,820 buys in Gulfport, MS

Prices in Gulfport, MS are 10.0% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 32% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $20,221 take-home pay has the buying power of $22,467 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$925
55% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,107
66% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$760
per month for everything else

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 about as common in Gulfport, MS as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.90).

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

Gulfport, MS ranks #238 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
238Gulfport, MS$22,820$20,221$22,467

*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 Mississippi

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fast food and counter worker make in Gulfport, MS?

The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metro area is $22,820 a year, or about $10.97 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $21,650 and $27,340.

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

On the median $22,820 salary, a single filer living in Mississippi takes home about $20,221 a year ($1,685 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $181 in Mississippi taxes in 2026.

Is Gulfport, MS a good place to work as a fast food and counter worker?

Pay here is 27% below the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 10.0% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $22,467 would in a typical U.S. city. Gulfport, MS ranks #238 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Gulfport, MS?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Gulfport, MS is $925 a month ($1,107 for two bedrooms) — 55% of a median fast food and counter worker’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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Cost of living & all salaries in Gulfport, MS →