How to become a fast food and counter worker
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.
Steps to get there
Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
What fast food and counter workers do
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
- Perform cleaning duties, such as sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes, to keep equipment and facilities sanitary.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
Is fast food and counter worker a good career?
On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 39% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.
Where it pays most
- California $42,280
- Washington $37,710
- District of Columbia $37,430
- Colorado $36,270
- Vermont $36,030
Fast Food and Counter Workers salary by state and city
Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.