Cooks, Fast Food pay in Texas
$29,680avg. a year
$14.27 an hour · 36,240 employed
Cooks, Fast Food in Texas earn an average of $29,680 a year. That is $2,710 (8%) less than the U.S. average of $32,390. The best-paying metro area is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX at $38,950.
$28,280Median pay
$14.27Average hourly
+35%Avg. pay since 2020
#35Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Texas metro areas
Average pay for cooks, fast food by metro area. Swipe to see all 20.
14,540 jobs
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$38,950
$18.73 an hour
2300 jobs
Midland, TX
$31,950
$15.36 an hour
36,490 jobs
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$31,830
$15.30 an hour
44,470 jobs
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
$30,480
$14.66 an hour
5590 jobs
Corpus Christi, TX
$30,310
$14.57 an hour
6500 jobs
Waco, TX
$30,150
$14.49 an hour
7510 jobs
Killeen-Temple, TX
$29,320
$14.10 an hour
8210 jobs
Odessa, TX
$28,820
$13.86 an hour
9190 jobs
Sherman-Denison, TX
$28,590
$13.75 an hour
10540 jobs
Longview, TX
$28,270
$13.59 an hour
11440 jobs
Amarillo, TX
$28,130
$13.52 an hour
12280 jobs
Abilene, TX
$27,450
$13.20 an hour
131,040 jobs
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
$27,340
$13.14 an hour
14420 jobs
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX
$27,130
$13.04 an hour
15590 jobs
Lubbock, TX
$26,970
$12.97 an hour
167,950 jobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$26,360
$12.67 an hour
17490 jobs
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
$26,260
$12.63 an hour
181,140 jobs
El Paso, TX
$26,160
$12.58 an hour
19
San Angelo, TX
$26,070
$12.53 an hour
20230 jobs
Texarkana, TX-AR
$25,310
$12.17 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 Texas, charted
Pay over time
Texas, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Texas cooks, fast food work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · Texas highlighted · tap a state
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Under $29k$29k–$32k$32k–$36k$36k+Texas
Texas vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $32,390 | $15.57 |
| Texas | $29,680 | $14.27 |
| New Mexico | $32,010 | $15.39 |
| Oklahoma | $28,200 | $13.56 |
| Arkansas | $27,770 | $13.35 |
| Louisiana | $25,130 | $12.08 |
Related jobs in Texas
- Cooks, Restaurant$33,370
- Food Preparation Workers$32,120
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$34,870
- Cooks, All Other$33,130
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$27,750
- Waiters and Waitresses$29,750
Average pay, Texas, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, fast food make in Texas?
The average is $29,680 a year, and the median is $28,280. That is $2,710 (8%) less than the U.S. average of $32,390.
What is the hourly wage in Texas?
$14.27 an hour on average; the median is $13.60.
Where in Texas do they earn the most?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX ($38,950), followed by Midland, TX ($31,950). The lowest average among 20 metro areas with data is Texarkana, TX-AR ($25,310).
How does Texas rank?
Texas ranks #35 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.