28 States Where Fast Food Jobs Pay More Than Minimum Wage

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Working in fast food can often be a challenging and tiring endeavor, with wages typically being less than competitive and full-time hours hard to come by.

Now, according to a LendingTree survey, it has been revealed that fast food workers are often hard-pressed to afford the meals that they are serving to customers.

One tertiary finding of the study: Despite the difficulties many fast food workers have in affording the ever-increasing cost of life in their respective states, in many cases their hourly wage does exceed the minimum wage where they reside. According to the data provided by the study, below are the states were fast food jobs pay more than minimum wage.

Also here’s how much you’d make from running a Chick-fil-A.

California

Despite a general minimum wage of $15 and a minimum wage for fast food workers of $20, quick service staff in San Jose make an average of $20.83 hourly or $20.67 in San Francisco.

Georgia

With a state minimum wage of just $5.15 (outpaced by the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for most employees), fast food workers in Atlanta earn an average of $13.55 hourly.

Massachusetts

With a minimum wage of $15 in place, quick service restaurant (QSR) workers in Boston nonetheless make an average of $17.43 hourly.

New York

In New York City (and Long Island, as well as Westchester County) the minimum wage is $16.50 hourly. Fast food workers in NYC clear an average of $17.50 per hour.

Texas

Aligning with the federal minimum wage of $7.25, fast food workers in Houston make an average hourly pay of $12.78. In Dallas, that statistic rises to $13.48 and in Austin, $14.09.

Utah

As with Texas, the minimum wage is $7.25. Burger joint staff in Salt Lake City earn an average hourly wage of $13.99.

Below are other states in which this comparison comes into play follow.

• Alabama: ($7.25 state minimum wage, QSR workers earn $12.54 in Birmingham on average).
• Arizona: ($14.70 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $17 in Phoenix on average).
• Connecticut: ($16.35 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $16.78 in Hartford on average).
• Florida: ($13 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.62 in Miami on average).
• Illinois: ($15 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $16.05 in Chicago on average).
• Indiana: ($7.25 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.01 in Indianapolis on average).
• Kentucky: ($7.25 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $13.57 in Louisville on average).
• Maryland: ($15 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $15.89 in Baltimore on average).
• Michigan: ($12.48 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.34 in Detroit on average).
• Minnesota: ($11.13 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $16.17 in Minneapolis on average).
• Missouri: ($13.75 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.34 in Kansas City on average).
• Nevada: ($12 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.78 in Las Vegas on average).
• North Carolina: ($7.25 state minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.27 in Charlotte on average).
• Ohio: ($10.70 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.06 in Cleveland on average).
• Oklahoma: ($7.50 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $12.18 in Oklahoma City on average).
• Oregon: ($16.30 minimum wage for Portland metro as of July 1, 2025; QSR workers earn $17.61 in Portland on average).
• Pennsylvania: ($7.25 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $13.48 in Pittsburgh on average).
• Rhode Island: ($15 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $15.96 in Providence on average).
• Tennessee: ($7.25 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.12 in Nashville on average).
• Virginia: ($12.41 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $14.48 in Richmond on average).
• Washington: ($16.66 minimum wage, QSR workers earn $19.78 in Seattle on average).
• Wisconsin: ($7.25 state minimum wage, QSR workers earn $13.86 in Milwaukee on average).

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