Real Salary Index

Best states for fast food and counter workers

The best states for fast food and counter workers start with the national median wage of $28,790. Once federal tax, state income tax and local housing costs are applied, that salary is worth $75,935 in Puerto Rico and only $29,216 in California.

WeakestStrongest
100.0
Excellent
Puerto Rico — top ranked

After-tax income $35,365 · cost index 0.47

National median wage

$28,790

Best state

Puerto Rico

Weakest state

California

Real pay spread

$46,719

Federal effective rate

6.2%

States compared

52

Ranked

Real purchasing power for fast food and counter workers, by state

Median wage after federal and state income tax, divided by a local cost-of-living index built from rent and home values.

  1. 1
    Puerto Rico0.0% state tax$75,935
  2. 2
    South Dakota0.0% state tax$39,921
  3. 3
    Arkansas3.9% state tax$38,987
  4. 4
    North Dakota1.9% state tax$38,927
  5. 5
    Louisiana3.0% state tax$38,810
  6. 6
    Iowa3.8% state tax$38,663
  7. 7
    Mississippi4.7% state tax$38,633
  8. 8
    Tennessee0.0% state tax$38,494
  9. 9
    Oklahoma4.8% state tax$38,220
  10. 10
    Wyoming0.0% state tax$38,153
  11. 11
    Alabama4.7% state tax$37,820
  12. 12
    Kentucky4.0% state tax$37,552
  13. 13
    West Virginia4.8% state tax$37,484
  14. 14
    Nebraska5.2% state tax$37,073
  15. 15
    Missouri4.8% state tax$36,948
  16. 16
    Kansas5.6% state tax$36,928
  17. 17
    Ohio3.5% state tax$36,697
  18. 18
    Indiana3.0% state tax$36,660
  19. 19
    Texas0.0% state tax$36,437
  20. 20
    New Mexico4.9% state tax$36,348
  21. 21
    North Carolina4.5% state tax$35,693
  22. 22
    Wisconsin5.3% state tax$35,460
  23. 23
    Nevada0.0% state tax$35,372
  24. 24
    South Carolina6.4% state tax$35,148
  25. 25
    Michigan4.3% state tax$35,090
  26. 26
    Pennsylvania3.1% state tax$35,058
  27. 27
    Montana5.9% state tax$35,015
  28. 28
    Idaho5.8% state tax$34,743
  29. 29
    Georgia5.4% state tax$34,615
  30. 30
    Alaska0.0% state tax$34,550
  31. 31
    Florida0.0% state tax$34,197
  32. 32
    Arizona2.5% state tax$34,191
  33. 33
    Utah4.5% state tax$34,036
  34. 34
    New Hampshire0.0% state tax$33,951
  35. 35
    Maine7.2% state tax$33,662
  36. 36
    Vermont6.6% state tax$33,561
  37. 37
    Illinois5.0% state tax$33,512
  38. 38
    Delaware5.5% state tax$33,336
  39. 39
    Minnesota7.0% state tax$33,164
  40. 40
    Virginia5.0% state tax$33,114
  41. 41
    Washington0.0% state tax$33,047
  42. 42
    Rhode Island4.8% state tax$32,825
  43. 43
    Colorado4.4% state tax$32,707
  44. 44
    Connecticut5.5% state tax$32,131
  45. 45
    Maryland5.3% state tax$31,808
  46. 46
    Massachusetts5.0% state tax$31,657
  47. 47
    Oregon8.8% state tax$31,023
  48. 48
    New York6.0% state tax$30,673
  49. 49
    New Jersey5.5% state tax$30,586
  50. 50
    District of Columbia7.0% state tax$29,777
  51. 51
    Hawaii7.9% state tax$29,455
  52. 52
    California8.0% state tax$29,216

Wages are national medians: this shows where the same salary goes furthest, not where employers pay more.

How the Real Salary Index works

We start from the BLS national median wage, subtract an effective federal income tax estimate and the state's income tax rate, then divide the result by a cost-of-living index built from state median gross rent and median home value against the national average.

The output is the salary's real purchasing power, and the 0–100 RSI score simply ranks every state between the weakest and strongest result for that occupation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (national median annual wages, May 2024); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (state cost-of-living proxy); State income tax parameters, 2026 tax year.

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