Fast Food and Counter Workers salary in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Official BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area — and the estimated take-home pay on the median wage under 2026 Oregon tax rules.
The figures
The median Fast Food and Counter Workers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area earns $35,620 a year ($17.13 an hour), according to the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (full citation in Sources). The middle half of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA earn between $34,890 and $37,690 a year. At the ends of the distribution, the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $34,280 or less and the top 10 percent earn $45,320 or more. BLS estimates 34,840 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area — 28.831 of every 1,000 jobs in the area, a location quotient of 1.16 (above the national concentration). That is 0.9% of all Fast Food and Counter Workers employment in the United States (3,854,050 jobs nationally). By employment, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is the #20 largest of the 25 covered metro areas for Fast Food and Counter Workers. In aggregate, Fast Food and Counter Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA earn about $1.32 billion a year (BLS employment multiplied by the mean wage). At the mean wage, the engine's take-home is $30,309.50 a year, so the aggregate take-home of Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Fast Food and Counter Workers is about $1.06 billion. BLS reports a relative standard error of 4.1% for this employment estimate. Ranked by median pay, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA stands #8 of the 25 metro areas covered on this site for Fast Food and Counter Workers. By employment, Fast Food and Counter Workers is the #1 largest of the 30 covered occupations in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Placed against the national distribution for Fast Food and Counter Workers, the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median of $35,620 falls between the national median ($31,200) and the national 75th percentile ($36,070). Across all occupations, the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median is $60,690 a year — Fast Food and Counter Workers pay is 41.3% below the area's overall median.
Wages in detail
| Wage level | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | $18.19 | $37,830 |
| 10th percentile | $16.48 | $34,280 |
| 25th percentile | $16.77 | $34,890 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $17.13 | $35,620 |
| 75th percentile | $18.12 | $37,690 |
| 90th percentile | $21.79 | $45,320 |
What the wage distribution says
The top 10 percent of Fast Food and Counter Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA earn 1.3 times what the bottom 10 percent earn ($45,320 against $34,280). The middle half spans $2,800 — from $34,890 to $37,690. Hourly, the 90th percentile ($21.79) is 1.32 times the 10th ($16.48). In the upper half of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA distribution, the 75th percentile wage of $37,690 takes home $30,207.46 and the 90th percentile wage of $45,320 takes home $35,750.96 — $5,543.50 more net for $7,630 more gross. Against the median take-home of $28,703.74, the top decile keeps 1.25 times as much. The mean wage of $37,830 sits 6.2% above the median: higher-paid Fast Food and Counter Workers pull the average up in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Among the 30 covered occupations in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, Fast Food and Counter Workers ranks #30 by median pay. In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA wage ladder of covered occupations, Fast Food and Counter Workers sits just below Cashiers at $36,560. Fast Food and Counter Workers accounts for 2.9% of all employment in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area. The average covered metro employs 62,486 Fast Food and Counter Workers; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA employs 0.6 times that.
Take-home pay on the median wage in Oregon
Single filer, no dependents, no pre-tax contributions, paid biweekly, a full year of W-2 wages in Oregon; city and local taxes are not included:
| Gross pay (annual) | $35,620.00 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $2,094.40 |
| Social Security (FICA) | $2,208.44 |
| Medicare (FICA) | $516.49 |
| Oregon income tax | $2,096.87 |
| Total deductions | $6,916.26 |
| Net pay (annual) | $28,703.74 |
| Net pay per biweekly paycheck | $1,103.99 |
| Total deduction rate | 19.42% of gross |
At the median, $28,703.74 of the $35,620 gross is kept ($1,103.99 per paycheck) — a deduction rate of 19.42%. The deduction rate moves with pay: 19.11% at the 10th percentile, 19.25% at the 25th percentile, 19.85% at the 75th percentile, 21.11% at the 90th percentile. Between the 25th and 75th percentile wages, annual take-home rises by $2,034.04 on a gross rise of $2,800.
The same engine at the other published points of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA wage distribution:
| Wage point | Net per year | Net per paycheck | Deduction rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile ($34,280) | $27,730.34 | $1,066.55 | 19.11% |
| 25th percentile ($34,890) | $28,173.42 | $1,083.59 | 19.25% |
| Median ($35,620) | $28,703.74 | $1,103.99 | 19.42% |
| 75th percentile ($37,690) | $30,207.46 | $1,161.83 | 19.85% |
| 90th percentile ($45,320) | $35,750.96 | $1,375.04 | 21.11% |
Across the published distribution, take-home pay runs from $27,730.34 a year at the 10th percentile to $35,750.96 at the 90th — a spread of $8,020.62 of net pay inside one occupation and one metro area.
For scale: across all occupations, the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median wage of $60,690 takes home $46,917.28 a year ($1,804.51 per paycheck, deduction rate 22.69%). The Fast Food and Counter Workers median take-home of $28,703.74 sits $18,213.54 (below that area-wide figure.
Multi-state metro area. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA also covers parts of Washington. The take-home estimate above uses Oregon rules — the metro area's primary state. If the job is based in another part of the metro area, the state tax changes: see the Washington paycheck calculator.
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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median of $35,620 is $4,420 (14.2%) above the national median.
The means rank the area the same way: $37,830 a year in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA against $32,150 nationally, a gap of $5,680 (17.7%).
Set against the whole local market, the Fast Food and Counter Workers 90th percentile of $45,320 is 33% of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA all-occupations 90th percentile ($136,920), and its 10th percentile of $34,280 is 92% of the area-wide 10th ($37,200).
| Median annual | Median hourly | Mean annual | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $35,620 | $17.13 | $37,830 |
| United States | $31,200 | $15.00 | $32,150 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
$35,620 a year ($17.13 an hour), per the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The mean is $37,830 a year. Ranked by median pay, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA stands #8 of the 25 covered metro areas for this occupation.
What is the take-home pay on $35,620 in Oregon?
About $28,703.74 a year ($1,103.99 per biweekly paycheck) for a single filer with no dependents and no pre-tax contributions, under 2026 rules — a total deduction rate of 19.42% of gross. At the 75th percentile wage of $37,690, take-home is $30,207.46.
How does pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA compare with the national median for Fast Food and Counter Workers?
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA median of $35,620 is $4,420 (14.2%) above the national median of $31,200 a year. At the top of the distribution, the local 90th percentile is $45,320, against a national 90th percentile of $42,650.
How much do the top 10% of Fast Food and Counter Workers earn in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
$45,320 a year or more ($21.79 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
On $45,320 a year, the engine gives a take-home of $35,750.96 a year ($1,375.04 per biweekly paycheck) in Oregon under the same assumptions — a deduction rate of 21.11%.
How many Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs are there in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
BLS estimates 34,840 Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area — 28.831 of every 1,000 jobs in the area.
How concentrated are Fast Food and Counter Workers jobs in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The location quotient is 1.16 — above 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
From $27,730.34 a year at the 10th percentile wage ($34,280) to $35,750.96 at the 90th ($45,320), under the same single-filer assumptions in Oregon.
What is the total wage bill for Fast Food and Counter Workers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
About $1.32 billion a year — the BLS employment estimate of 34,840 multiplied by the mean wage of $37,830.
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.