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.
9 metro areas in Minnesota publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 60,630 jobs. The three largest employers of fast food and counter workers are Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington (37,920 jobs), Sioux Falls (5,730 jobs), Fargo (4,090 jobs), which hold 78.7% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $28,280 to $33,040 a year, against $31,370 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 Minnesota: the highest median pay is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area ($33,040 a year); the most jobs are in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area (37,920). Statewide the median is $31,370 with 58,970 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 37,920 | $33,040 | $28,920 | $37,490 | 0.78 | 52% | 104.8 |
| Rochester, MN | 2,550 | $31,190 | $27,860 | $36,820 | 0.84 | 49% | 90.8 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 4,090 | $30,950 | $24,230 | $37,450 | 1.11 | 37% | 90.9 |
| Mankato, MN | 1,860 | $30,000 | $27,770 | $36,470 | 1.34 | 43% | 91.0 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 5,730 | $29,830 | $28,350 | $38,120 | 1.29 | 41% | 90.6 |
| St. Cloud, MN | 2,120 | $29,680 | $27,440 | $37,170 | 0.82 | 42% | 87.6 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 1,490 | $29,540 | $22,480 | $35,950 | 1.16 | 39% | 86.7 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | 2,910 | $29,260 | $24,250 | $35,980 | 0.94 | 41% | 88.8 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 1,960 | $28,280 | $22,490 | $34,990 | 0.94 | 44% | 91.8 |
National page: Fast food and counter workers →Cities of Minnesota
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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area, with a median of $33,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area, with 37,920 jobs.