Cooks, Fast Food pay in Pennsylvania
$30,580avg. a year
$14.70 an hour · 9,240 employed
Cooks, Fast Food in Pennsylvania earn an average of $30,580 a year. That is $1,810 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $32,390. The best-paying metro area is Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD at $34,630.
$28,810Median pay
$14.70Average hourly
+46%Avg. pay since 2020
#31Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Pennsylvania metro areas
Average pay for cooks, fast food by metro area. Swipe to see all 11.
14,010 jobs
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
$34,630
$16.65 an hour
2530 jobs
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
$31,960
$15.36 an hour
3510 jobs
Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA
$30,350
$14.59 an hour
4460 jobs
Lancaster, PA
$30,260
$14.55 an hour
5170 jobs
State College, PA
$30,260
$14.55 an hour
6480 jobs
York-Hanover, PA
$29,620
$14.24 an hour
780 jobs
Gettysburg, PA
$29,380
$14.12 an hour
8340 jobs
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA
$29,380
$14.12 an hour
9180 jobs
Chambersburg, PA
$28,130
$13.52 an hour
101,620 jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$27,690
$13.31 an hour
11110 jobs
Altoona, PA
$27,500
$13.22 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Fast Food pay in Pennsylvania, charted
Pay over time
Pennsylvania, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Pennsylvania cooks, fast food work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Pennsylvania highlighted · tap a state
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Under $29k$29k–$32k$32k–$36k$36k+Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $32,390 | $15.57 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,580 | $14.70 |
| New York | $36,800 | $17.69 |
| Delaware | $35,780 | $17.20 |
| New Jersey | $35,240 | $16.94 |
| Maryland | $34,260 | $16.47 |
| Ohio | $27,860 | $13.40 |
Related jobs in Pennsylvania
Average pay, Pennsylvania, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, fast food make in Pennsylvania?
The average is $30,580 a year, and the median is $28,810. That is $1,810 (6%) less than the U.S. average of $32,390.
What is the hourly wage in Pennsylvania?
$14.70 an hour on average; the median is $13.85.
Where in Pennsylvania do they earn the most?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD ($34,630), followed by Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ ($31,960). The lowest average among 11 metro areas with data is Altoona, PA ($27,500).
How does Pennsylvania rank?
Pennsylvania ranks #31 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, fast food page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.