Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Michigan tax rules.
The figures
The median Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earns $29,590 a year ($14.23 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn between $28,170 and $33,950 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $25,960 or less and the top 10 percent earn $36,140 or more. BLS estimates 42,430 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area — 22.277 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 0.9 (below the national concentration). That is 1.1% of all Fast Food and Counter Workers employment in the United States (3,854,050 jobs nationally). By employment, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI is the #17 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers. In aggregate, Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn about $1.31 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $25,915.32 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Fast Food and Counter Workers is about $1.10 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 5.9% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #18 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Fast Food and Counter Workers. By employment, Fast Food and Counter Workers is the #5 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Placed against the national distribution for Fast Food and Counter Workers, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $29,590 falls between the national 25th percentile ($27,700) and the national median ($31,200). Across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median is $52,080 a year — Fast Food and Counter Workers pay is 43.2% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $14.84 | $30,860 |
| 10th percentile | $12.48 | $25,960 |
| 25th percentile | $13.54 | $28,170 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $14.23 | $29,590 |
| 75th percentile | $16.32 | $33,950 |
| 90th percentile | $17.38 | $36,140 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI earn 1.4 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($36,140 against $25,960). The middle half spans $5,780 — from $28,170 to $33,950. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($17.38) is 1.39 times the 10th ($12.48). In the upper half of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $33,950 takes home $28,266.66 and the 90th percentile wage of $36,140 takes home $29,933.28 — $1,666.62 more net for $2,190 more gross. Against the median take-home of $24,949.00, the top decile keeps 1.20 times as much. The mean wage of $30,860 sits 4.3% above the median: higher-paid Fast Food and Counter Workers pull the average up in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI. Among the 30 covered occupations in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, Fast Food and Counter Workers ranks #30 by median pay. In the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage ladder of covered occupations, Fast Food and Counter Workers sits just below Cashiers at $30,090. Fast Food and Counter Workers accounts for 2.2% of all employment in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area. The average covered metro employs 62,486 Fast Food and Counter Workers; Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI employs 0.7 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Michigan
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Michigan; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $29,590.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $1,370.80 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $1,834.58 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $429.05 |
| Michigan income tax | $1,006.82 |
| Total deductions | $4,641.00 |
| Net pay (annual) | $24,949.00 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $959.58 |
| Total deduction rate | 15.68% of gross |
At the median, $24,949.00 of the $29,590 gross is kept ($959.58 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 15.68%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 14.73% at the 10th percentile, 15.29% at the 25th percentile, 16.74% at the 75th percentile, 17.17% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $4,404.86 on a gross rise of $5,780.
The same engine at the other published points of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($25,960) | $22,135.66 | $851.37 | 14.73% |
| 25th percentile ($28,170) | $23,861.80 | $917.76 | 15.29% |
| Median ($29,590) | $24,949.00 | $959.58 | 15.68% |
| 75th percentile ($33,950) | $28,266.66 | $1,087.18 | 16.74% |
| 90th percentile ($36,140) | $29,933.28 | $1,151.28 | 17.17% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $22,135.66 a year at the 10th percentile to $29,933.28 at the 90th — a spread of $7,797.62 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median wage of $52,080 takes home $42,063.76 a year ($1,617.84 per paycheck, deduction rate 19.23%). The Fast Food and Counter Workers median take-home of $24,949.00 sits $17,114.76 (below that area-wide figure.
Run your own numbers
Your own withholding depends on your Form W-4, your benefits and your other income — run your exact figures through the calculator:
Against the national median
Nationally, the median Fast Food and Counter Workers earns $31,200 a year ($15.00 an hour). The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $29,590 is $1,610 (5.2%) below the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $30,860 a year in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI against $32,150 nationally, a gap of $1,290 (4.0%).
Set against the whole local market, the Fast Food and Counter Workers 90th percentile of $36,140 is 28% of the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI all-occupations 90th percentile ($127,470), and its 10th percentile of $25,960 is 84% of the area-wide 10th ($30,990).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $29,590 | $14.23 | $30,860 |
| United States | $31,200 | $15.00 | $32,150 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$29,590 a year ($14.23 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $30,860 a year. Ranked by median pay, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI stands #18 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $29,590 in Michigan?
About $24,949.00 a year ($959.58 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 15.68% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $33,950, take-home is $28,266.66.
How does pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI compare with the national median for Fast Food and Counter Workers?
The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI median of $29,590 is $1,610 (5.2%) below the national median of $31,200 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $36,140, against a national 90th percentile of $42,650.
How much do the top 10% of Fast Food and Counter Workers earn in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
$36,140 a year or more ($17.38 an hour or more), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
What is the take-home pay at the 90th percentile for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
On $36,140 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $29,933.28 a year ($1,151.28 per biweekly paycheck) in Michigan under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 17.17%.
How many Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs are there in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
BLS estimates 42,430 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area — 22.277 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
The location quotient is 0.9 — below the national concentration. A quotient of 1.0 means the occupation's share of local employment equals its national share.
How much does take-home pay vary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
From $22,135.66 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($25,960) to $29,933.28 at the 90th ($36,140), under the same single-filer assumptions in Michigan.
What is the total wage bill for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI?
About $1.31 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 42,430 multiplied by the mean wage of $30,860.
Sources and method
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates (released May 15, 2026), retrieved October 27, 2026 — bls.gov/oes. OEWS figures are survey estimates for May 2025, not job offers. Take-home pay is computed by this site's paycheck engine with 2026 federal and state rules; the method, and what the engine does not model, is documented in the paycheck methodology guide. Estimates only — not tax advice.