Fast Food and Counter Workers Average Salary in Rhode Island
$34,040 average · $34,040 median · BLS OEWS 2025
SOC Code: 35-3023What is this?
This page shows employer-reported wages for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Rhode Island, drawn from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey — median and mean pay, the full percentile distribution, and the industries that employ this occupation locally. Geographic minimum wages and franchise vs. corporate ownership explain most of the state variation. Shift lead and assistant manager differentials are the first meaningful raises inside the brand. Institutional and hospital food service often beats QSR on benefits even when base wages look similar.
How much do Fast Food and Counter Workers make in Rhode Island?
The average fast food and counter workers salary in Rhode Island is $34,040 per year. That works out to about $16.37 per hour on average. BLS counts roughly 13,310 fast food and counter workers jobs in Rhode Island.
Mean and median are close, so pay is relatively concentrated around $34,040. Entry-level roles (10th percentile) report about $34,040; experienced workers at the 90th percentile report about $34,040 — a 0% spread from bottom to top. Figures are employer-reported wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — not self-reported survey averages — so they are the right baseline for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
How Fast Food and Counter Workers Careers Are Structured
Fast food and counter workers prepare and serve limited-menu food in QSR, cafeterias, and counter-service formats. It is among the largest youth and first-job occupations in the country, with high turnover and schedule-driven hours.
The wage tables and percentile chart on this page show how fast food and counter workers pay is distributed in Rhode Island specifically — and because state-level wages for the same occupation routinely differ by 30% or more, the local figures here are the ones that matter for offers, raises, and relocation decisions in this market.
What Moves Pay in This Field
Geographic minimum wages and franchise vs. corporate ownership explain most of the state variation. Shift lead and assistant manager differentials are the first meaningful raises inside the brand. Institutional and hospital food service often beats QSR on benefits even when base wages look similar.
Entry is immediate. The realistic upgrades are supervision within food service, moves into institutional kitchens, or lateral transfers into retail and customer service with stronger mid-career distributions. Use the percentile chart to see how compressed the floor is — and how much the first supervisory step matters.
New to reading wage distributions? Our guide to salary percentiles explains how to place yourself on the chart above, and the negotiation playbook shows how to use these numbers in an actual conversation.
What Do Fast Food and Counter Workers Do?
Fast Food and Counter Workers positions belong to the fast food and counter workers field. Fast food and counter workers prepare and serve limited-menu food in QSR, cafeterias, and counter-service formats. It is among the largest youth and first-job occupations in the country, with high turnover and schedule-driven hours.
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 35-3023
Fast Food and Counter Workers pay in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, fast food and counter workers report a median of $34,040 (about $16.37/hour) across roughly 13,310 jobs. The local pay band runs from about $34,040 at the 10th percentile to $34,040 at the 90th.
Compared with the national distribution, local industry mix and cost of living are the main reasons Rhode Island wages for this occupation sit where they do — toggle Regional Price Parity on this page to see purchasing-power-adjusted pay.
What your paycheck is really worth in Rhode Island
Prices in Rhode Island run 2% above the national average (RPP 102.3). So a nominal salary of $34,040 has the buying power of about $33,281 in national terms.
Rhode Island vs. United States for Fast Food and Counter Workers
The median fast food and counter workers salary in Rhode Island is $34,040, which is +7.1% above the national median of $31,790 (mean pay is +5.6% above the U.S. mean of $32,226). Among 51 states and D.C. with OEWS data, Rhode Island ranks #17 by median wage for this occupation. Rhode Island accounts for about 0.1% of U.S. fast food and counter workers employment in the latest OEWS release.
See every state ranked for this occupation on the best-paying states page, or compare purchasing power on real wages.
Income reality check
The median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Rhode Island of $34,040 falls in the Low-income band of this framework - roughly ~18% of the U.S. population and ~25% of the global population sit in this band.
Illustrative relative standing for education only - this ladder is a simplified framework, not an official Census, BLS, or World Bank statistical series. Salary figures on Wage Atlas come from official BLS OEWS data.
Salary Overview
Salary Distribution & Your Position
Advance Your Career
Ready to level up? Find courses, certifications, and coaching to boost your salary potential.
AI Replacement Risk Analysis
Forward-looking analysis of automation and AI impact
- Physical presence and manual skills required
Includes risk scoring, timeline estimates, adaptation strategies, and more
Occupation Report Card
Top Industries for Fast Food and Counter Workers
| $35,622 | $35,459 | $17 | 452,680 | |
| $35,577 | $35,640 | $17 | 254,340 | |
SOC: 445000 | $34,400 | $34,720 | $17 | 134,820 |
| $31,770 | $30,757 | $15 | 10,068,420 |
Related Occupations
SOC: 35-3031 • 84% match | $40,070 | $40,060 | $19 | 13,138,520 |
SOC: 53-7065 • 78% match | $39,579 | $39,440 | $19 | 14,316,800 |
| $39,122 | $38,760 | $19 | 12,706,340 | |
SOC: 35-2014 • 78% match | $38,701 | $38,600 | $19 | 8,130,270 |
| Find Cooks, Restaurant Jobs | ||||
SOC: 41-2031 • 92% match | $37,302 | $37,310 | $18 | 19,723,450 |
SOC: 41-2011 • 86% match | $33,202 | $33,180 | $16 | 15,770,510 |
Related Occupations
Explore similar occupations and career paths:
Fast Food And Counter Workers in Other States
Compare salaries for this occupation across different states:
Explore More Data for Fast Food And Counter Workers
Career Advancement Strategy
Skills to Develop
Fastest growing skill in marketing technology
High ROI focus drives salary premiums
Data-driven marketing is becoming standard
Essential for senior marketing roles
Required for VP and C-level positions
Explore Similar Careers
Related Metrics
Viewing: Fast Food and Counter Workers (SOC: 35-3023)