# Fast Food and Counter Workers

> Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fast-food-and-counter-workers
- SOC code: 35-3023.00
- Career family: Food service
- Median annual pay: $31,200 (10th percentile $22,840, 90th percentile $42,650)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.8%
- Openings a year: 827,400
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CRS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 64 |
| Investigative (I) | 0 |
| Artistic (A) | 8 |
| Social (S) | 41 |
| Enterprising (E) | 41 |
| Conventional (C) | 66 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 62/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 61/100)
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others (importance 59/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 58/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 53/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 47/100)
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others (importance 46/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 45/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 44/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 44/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Time Management

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Food Production, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, Production and Processing, Administrative, Education and Training

## Also called

Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member), Bakery Associate, Barista, Bistro Team Member, Cafe Server, Cafe Worker, Cafeteria Food Server, Cafeteria Lunchroom Counter Attendant, Cafeteria Server, Cafeteria Worker

## Related careers

- [Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/dining-room-and-cafeteria-attendants-and-bartender-helpers): $33,980 median pay
- [Food Preparation Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-preparation-workers): $35,320 median pay
- [Food Servers, Nonrestaurant](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/food-servers-nonrestaurant): $35,360 median pay
- [Baristas](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/baristas): $31,200 median pay
- [Waiters and Waitresses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/waiters-and-waitresses): $35,230 median pay
- [Cooks, Restaurant](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cooks-restaurant): $37,390 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.