Fast Food and Counter Workers
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
Also called: Cafe Server · Cafeteria Server · Cafeteria Worker · Counter Worker · Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker) · Dietary Aide
Median pay (national)
$30,480
$22,620–$38,800 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
3,780,930
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.1%
~904,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
No formal educational credential
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for fast food and counter workers shows a relatively narrow range: the top 10% earn $38,800 versus $22,620 at the bottom 10% — 1.7x. The median of $30,480 leaves roughly 27% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.1% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 904,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $38,240, +25% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $20,580 — a 86% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
Tailor your resume to Fast Food and Counter Workers
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Fast Food and Counter Workers
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Active Learning
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
- Clean and organize eating, service, and kitchen areas.
- Prepare daily food items, and cook simple foods and beverages, such as sandwiches, salads, soups, pizza, or coffee, using proper safety precautions and sanitary measures.
- Wrap menu items such as sandwiches, hot entrees, and desserts for serving or for takeout.
- Collect and return dirty dishes to the kitchen for washing.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Windows
- Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
- Compris software
- Foodman Home-Delivery
- Intuit QuickBooks Point of Sale
- Menu and nutrition database software
- MICROS Systems HSI Profits Series
- NCR Advanced Checkout Solution
- NCR NeighborhoodPOS
- Plexis Software Plexis POS
- Quizlet
- RestaurantPlus PRO
- The General Store
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Food Production
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Production and Processing