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.
8 metro areas in Oregon publish pay for this occupation with at least 100 jobs, together 57,850 jobs. The three largest employers of fast food and counter workers are Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro (34,840 jobs), Eugene-Springfield (6,220 jobs), Salem (5,880 jobs), which hold 81.1% of those jobs. Median pay across these metros runs from $33,350 to $35,620 a year, against $35,050 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 Oregon: the highest median pay is in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area ($35,620 a year); the most jobs are in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area (34,840). Statewide the median is $35,050 with 59,920 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) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 34,840 | $35,620 | $34,280 | $45,320 | 1.16 | 58% | 105.4 |
| Bend, OR | 3,680 | $35,460 | $31,620 | $44,410 | 1.37 | 57% | 103.6 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 1,240 | $34,900 | $31,320 | $43,170 | 1.64 | 41% | 97.8 |
| Salem, OR | 5,880 | $34,520 | $31,220 | $43,320 | 1.26 | 49% | 103.6 |
| Albany, OR | 1,470 | $34,330 | $30,720 | $42,340 | 1.26 | 46% | 102.1 |
| Medford, OR | 3,210 | $34,140 | $30,680 | $43,400 | 1.46 | 48% | 101.4 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 6,220 | $33,990 | $30,340 | $39,200 | 1.59 | 48% | 101.6 |
| Corvallis, OR | 1,310 | $33,350 | $30,660 | $41,550 | 1.37 | 51% | 104.0 |
National page: Fast food and counter workers →Cities of Oregon
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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area, with a median of $35,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metro areas with at least 100 jobs).
In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA area, with 34,840 jobs.