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

Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Huntington, WV

Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area earn a median $23,500 a year — 25% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $20,400 take-home, or $1,700 a month.

Median salary
$23,500
$11.30 per hour
Typical range
$21,470 – $32,610
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Huntington, WV
2,590
0.74× national concentration
▼1.7%
Pay trend: The median for fast food and counter workers in Huntington, WV fell from $23,910 (May 2024) to $23,500 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 4.1%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker in Huntington, WV
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$20,400
per year · effective tax rate 13.2%
$1,700Monthly
$850Twice a month
$785Every 2 weeks
$9.81Hourly
  • Federal income tax$740
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,457
  • Medicare (1.45%)$341
  • West Virginia income tax$562
  • Take-home pay$20,400

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 2.96% state

The Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro spans West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio. 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 →

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Huntington, WV

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$21,470$10.32$18,788$1,566
25th percentile$22,360$10.75$19,495$1,625
Median (50th)$23,500$11.30$20,400$1,700
75th percentile$27,600$13.27$23,653$1,971
90th percentile (top earners)$32,610$15.68$27,529$2,294

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

What $23,500 buys in Huntington, WV

Prices in Huntington, WV are 11.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 49% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $20,400 take-home pay has the buying power of $23,071 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$829
49% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$976
57% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$871
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 less concentrated in Huntington, WV than nationally (location quotient 0.74), so openings may be scarcer.

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

Huntington, WV ranks #229 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
229Huntington, WV$23,500$20,400$23,071

*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 Huntington, WV?

The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH metro area is $23,500 a year, or about $11.30 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $22,360 and $27,600.

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

On the median $23,500 salary, a single filer living in West Virginia takes home about $20,400 a year ($1,700 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $562 in West Virginia taxes in 2026.

Is Huntington, WV a good place to work as a fast food and counter worker?

Pay here is 25% below the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 11.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $23,071 would in a typical U.S. city. Huntington, WV ranks #229 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Huntington, WV?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Huntington, WV is $829 a month ($976 for two bedrooms) — 49% 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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