Ranked by median pay, with jobs and rent share; from BLS and Census data.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
7 metro areas in Massachusetts publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 102,620 jobs. The three largest employers of fast food and counter workers are Boston-Cambridge-Newton (60,130 jobs), Providence-Warwick (21,530 jobs), Worcester (8,800 jobs), which hold 88.2% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $33,700 to $36,290 a year, against $35,850 for the whole state and $31,200 for the whole country.
BLS reports a national median of $31,200 a year for fast food and counter workers (the lowest-paid tenth earn under $22,840 and the highest-paid tenth over $42,650). Employment is projected to change by +5.8% between 2025 and 2035, with about 827,400 openings a year including replacements. The typical entry route is: No formal educational credential; on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. Education requirements are BLS's typical ones, not legal rules; many states also license this work, so check the state board before applying.
Higher pay is not the whole story: look at the rent share column (yearly rent divided by median pay) and the price level (100 is the national average). A metro with a lower salary but cheaper housing can leave more money at the end of the month. The location quotient shows where the occupation is concentrated; employers cluster where it is above 1, which usually means more openings and more competition among employers for the same skills.
Fast food and counter workers in Massachusetts: the highest median pay is in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area ($36,290 a year); the most jobs are in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area (60,130). Statewide the median is $35,850 with 85,810 jobs. Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation are listed; click a column to sort.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ | Price level (US = 100) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 60,130 | $36,290 | $31,520 | $39,440 | 0.90 | 67% | 108.3 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 2,950 | $36,100 | $31,770 | $42,060 | 1.26 | 56% | 98.4 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 1,470 | $34,680 | $31,200 | $37,830 | 1.04 | 38% | 95.1 |
| Worcester, MA | 8,800 | $34,610 | $31,200 | $38,010 | 1.01 | 49% | 102.5 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 2,080 | $34,350 | $31,200 | $38,350 | 1.28 | 48% | 100.2 |
| Springfield, MA | 5,660 | $34,130 | $31,200 | $37,280 | 1.13 | 40% | 96.1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 21,530 | $33,700 | $31,200 | $36,700 | 1.22 | 47% | 101.8 |
National page: Fast food and counter workers →Cities of Massachusetts
Rent uses the metro median gross rent (ACS) and appears only for metros that contain a city of this guide. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure or we have no rent for that metro.
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with a median of $36,290 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area, with 60,130 jobs.