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

Fast Food and Counter Worker Salary in Mobile, AL

Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Mobile, AL metro area earn a median $23,510 a year — 25% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $20,060 take-home, or $1,672 a month.

Median salary
$23,510
$11.30 per hour
Typical range
$21,090 – $34,020
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Mobile, AL
3,160
0.74× national concentration
▲1.4%
Pay trend: The median for fast food and counter workers in Mobile, AL rose from $23,190 (May 2024) to $23,510 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 1.0%.

Take-home pay calculator

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker in Mobile, AL
Deductions, kids & local tax

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

Your take-home pay
$20,060
per year · effective tax rate 14.7%
$1,672Monthly
$836Twice a month
$772Every 2 weeks
$9.64Hourly
  • Federal income tax$741
  • Social Security (6.2%)$1,458
  • Medicare (1.45%)$341
  • Alabama income tax$911
  • Take-home pay$20,060

Marginal rate: 10% federal + 5.00% state

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

Fast Food and Counter Worker pay by experience in Mobile, AL

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$21,090$10.14$18,188$1,516
25th percentile$21,670$10.42$18,637$1,553
Median (50th)$23,510$11.30$20,060$1,672
75th percentile$27,750$13.34$23,340$1,945
90th percentile (top earners)$34,020$16.36$28,079$2,340

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

What $23,510 buys in Mobile, AL

Prices in Mobile, AL are 11.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 40% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median fast food and counter worker's $20,060 take-home pay has the buying power of $22,770 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$919
55% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,083
65% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$753
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 Mobile, AL 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

Mobile, AL ranks #232 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
232Mobile, AL$23,510$20,060$22,770

*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 Alabama

Frequently asked questions

How much does a fast food and counter worker make in Mobile, AL?

The median fast food and counter worker salary in the Mobile, AL metro area is $23,510 a year, or about $11.30 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $21,670 and $27,750.

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

On the median $23,510 salary, a single filer living in Alabama takes home about $20,060 a year ($1,672 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $911 in Alabama taxes in 2026.

Is Mobile, AL 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 11.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $22,770 would in a typical U.S. city. Mobile, AL ranks #232 of 241 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a fast food and counter worker afford rent in Mobile, AL?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Mobile, AL is $919 a month ($1,083 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%.

Related jobs in Mobile, AL

Cost of living & all salaries in Mobile, AL →