Cooks, Fast Food Salary in New Hampshire: $42,000 Average

Home › Food Preparation and Serving › Cooks, Fast Food › New Hampshire

Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET

Average base salary, New Hampshire

$42,000 / year

≈ $3,500 per month · $20.19 per hour

LocationOr metro areaOr industry (Grahall)Or city (Grahall)

BLS May 2025 state data for New Hampshire · median $40,000

25th percentile
$39,000Average
$42,00075th percentile
$46,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.

Cooks, Fast Food salary by state

Alabama$28,500

Alaska$35,500

Arizona$34,500

Arkansas$28,500

California$43,000

Colorado$39,500

Connecticut$37,500

Delaware$37,000

District of Columbia$45,000

Florida$33,500

Georgia$28,500

Hawaii$43,000

Idaho$30,000

Illinois$36,500

Indiana$32,000

Iowa$28,500

Kansas$30,500

Kentucky$26,000

Louisiana$26,000

Maine$38,000

Maryland$35,500

Massachusetts$41,500

Michigan$31,500

Minnesota$35,000

Mississippi$24,500

Missouri$32,000

Montana$31,500

Nebraska$33,000

Nevada$35,500

New Hampshire$42,000

New Jersey$36,500

New Mexico$33,000

New York$38,000

North Carolina$28,000

North Dakota$33,000

Ohio$29,000

Oklahoma$29,000

Oregon$40,500

Pennsylvania$31,500

Rhode Island$35,000

South Carolina$29,000

South Dakota$32,500

Tennessee$30,500

Texas$30,500

Utah$35,500

Vermont$38,500

Virginia$33,000

Washington$43,000

West Virginia$25,500

Wisconsin$30,500

Wyoming$31,000

Total cash compensation

Base salary plus target bonus using the Grahall equation. Bonus is a function of base; higher base means a higher target bonus.

Base salary

$33,500

National baseline

Target bonus

$2,500

6.8% of base

Total target cash

$36,000

Base plus target bonus

Bonus range (25th to 75th percentile): $1,500 to $4,000

Long-term incentive (LTI) varies by industry and executive tier and is not included in this view.

About this role

Cooks, Fast Food is a professional role within the function in the Food Preparation and Serving job family.

Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.

What Cooks, Fast Foods do

Typical education: High School Diploma

Order and take delivery of supplies.
Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.

Top skills: Service Orientation Active Listening Speaking Social Perceptiveness Coordination Reading Comprehension

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).

Cooks, Fast Food pay by experience level

Entry level$23,500

Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)

Early career$28,000

A few years in (about the 25th percentile)

Experienced$32,000

Mid-career median pay

Senior$38,500

Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)

Top earners$44,500

Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)

Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.

Job outlook

-13.5%

projected change in jobs, 2024–2034

82,100

projected openings per year

Declining

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.

Cooks, Fast Food salary by industry

Food Services and Drinking Places

620,270 workers

$33,500

Restaurants and Other Eating Places

615,170 workers

$33,500

Food and Beverage Retailers

9,420 workers

$38,500

Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)

8,900 workers

$38,500

Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers

5,440 workers

$30,000

Gasoline Stations

5,420 workers

$30,000

Special Food Services

4,140 workers

$43,000

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries

1,950 workers

$36,500

Other Amusement and Recreation Industries

1,220 workers

$35,000

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)

970 workers

$34,500

National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.

How this role compares

Cooks, Fast Food pays 17% below the average across 18 roles in the Food Preparation and Serving job family (family average $40,500).

Similar-paying roles in Food Preparation and Serving

Barista$33,500

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop$34,000

Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers$35,500

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Cooks, Short Order$37,500

Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers, All Other$38,000

Cooks, Restaurant$40,000

Cooks, All Other$40,500

Waiters and Waitresses$41,500

Bartender$42,000

Careers related to Cooks, Fast Food

Cooks, Short Order$37,500

Cooks, Restaurant$40,000

Food Preparation Worker$36,500

Baker$40,000

Barista$33,500

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$40,000

Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Cooks, Fast Food make?

The average base salary for a Cooks, Fast Food in the United States is $33,500 per year, or about $16.11 per hour.

What is the typical salary range?

Pay typically falls between $28,500 and $38,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.

How does this compare with other Food Preparation and Serving roles?

The Food Preparation and Serving job family averages $40,500 across 18 roles tracked by WePayFairly.

Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.

Explore Market Data Our Methodology

Put this data to work

Need Cooks, Fast Food pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.

Request an analysis

Want to see what this salary looks like after taxes? Estimate your take-home pay →