Cooks, Fast Food Salary in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
Fast food cooks in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area earned a median of $22,680 a year ($10.91 an hour) and a mean of $25,750 in May 2025. The median is 26.6% below the U.S. median ($30,890), ranking 399th of 419 areas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $22,680
- Median hourly
- $10.91
- Mean annual
- $25,750
- Jobs on record
- 6,370
Grey needle: U.S. median, $30,890 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area compare on pay for fast food cooks?
The Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ranks 399th of the 419 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas with a published median.
| Area | Rank | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aguadilla, PR | 397 | $22,780 | 340 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 397 | $22,780 | 1,120 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 399 | $22,680 | 6,370 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | 399 | $22,680 | 2,350 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 401 | $22,610 | 3,070 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 419 areas with a published figure.
How does pay here compare with North Carolina and the U.S.?
The $22,680 median is 16.6% below the North Carolina median ($27,190), and 26.6% below the U.S. median ($30,890).
| Area | Median | 10th percentile | 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $22,680 | $21,490 | $36,840 | 6,370 |
| North Carolina | $27,190 | $21,890 | $34,860 | 81,980 |
| United States | $30,890 | $22,580 | $42,910 | 641,070 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS state and national files, May 2025.
How does this job compare with all jobs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area?
Fast food cooks hold 2.41% of the jobs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, against 0.41% of jobs across the U.S., a location quotient of 5.85.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025; BLS OEWS metropolitan totals and national file, May 2025.
How many fast food cooks work in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area?
BLS counts 6,370 jobs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, 0.99% of the 641,070 in the U.S. That is 24.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a location quotient of 5.85: the occupation's share of local jobs is 5.85 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025 and national file.
Related jobs in the Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025.