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

Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Lynchburg, VA

Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Lynchburg, VA metro area earn a median $28,220 a year — 10% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $24,041 take-home, or $2,003 a month.

Median salary
$28,220
$13.57 per hour
Typical range
$26,530 – $34,810
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Lynchburg, VA
3,280
1.36× national concentration
▲3.8%
Pay trend: The median for fast food and counter workers in Lynchburg, VA rose from $27,190 (May 2024) to $28,220 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 1.4%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker in Lynchburg, VA
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$24,041
per year · effective tax rate 14.8%
$2,003Monthly
$1,002Twice a month
$925Every 2 weeks
$11.56Hourly
  • Federal income tax$1,212
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,750
  • Medicare (1.45%)$409
  • Virginia income tax$809
  • Take-home pay$24,041

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 5.75% state

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Lynchburg, VA

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$26,530$12.75$22,745$1,895
25th percentile$26,980$12.97$23,091$1,924
Median (50th)$28,220$13.57$24,041$2,003
75th percentile$29,190$14.03$24,770$2,064
90th percentile (top earners)$34,810$16.74$28,962$2,414

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

What $28,220 buys in Lynchburg, VA

Prices in Lynchburg, VA are 10.6% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 36% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $24,041 take-home pay has the buying power of $26,902 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,033
52% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,187
59% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$970
per month for everything else

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

Lynchburg, VA has 1.4× 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

Lynchburg, VA ranks #94 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
94Lynchburg, VA$28,220$24,041$26,902

*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 Virginia

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fast food and counter worker make in Lynchburg, VA?

The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Lynchburg, VA metro area is $28,220 a year, or about $13.57 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $26,980 and $29,190.

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

On the median $28,220 salary, a single filer living in Virginia takes home about $24,041 a year ($2,003 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $809 in Virginia taxes in 2026.

Is Lynchburg, VA a good place to work as a fast food and counter worker?

Pay here is 10% below the national median of $31,200. Local prices are 10.6% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $26,902 would in a typical U.S. city. Lynchburg, VA ranks #94 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Lynchburg, VA?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Lynchburg, VA is $1,033 a month ($1,187 for two bedrooms) — 52% 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 Lynchburg, VA →