SALARY · COOKS, FAST FOOD · IOWA

Cooks, Fast Food salary in Iowa

I would start with the middle, not the top of the range. For cooks, fast food in Iowa, that middle figure was $28,510 a year. It gives you a steadier base for rent, bills and savings plans than a headline salary that only a small share of workers actually reach.

MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY

$28,510

$14 per hour at the median · That is $2,380 (7.7 percent) below the national median of $30,890 for this occupation.

$27,600Mean annual salary
$13Mean hourly wage
$8,290People employed in this job in Iowa

Salary range

25th: $16,140Median: $28,51075th: $33,710
MeasureAnnual
25th percentile$16,140
Median (50th percentile)$28,510
75th percentile$33,710
Mean$27,600

The middle half of workers earned from $16,140 to $33,710 a year. Do not read the percentile range as good versus bad jobs. It mostly reflects experience, hours, employer type and local demand. A new starter near the 25th percentile and a veteran near the 75th can both be fairly paid for their stage.

What stays in your pocket on the median salary

ESTIMATED TAKE-HOME PAY

$24,656 a year
$2,055 a month
Federal tax $1,241 · FICA $2,181 · State tax $432

Iowa school district and county EMS surtaxes are separate and are not in this figure.

Read this before you use the take-home figure. It is a single-filer estimate using the 2026 standard deduction. It leaves out credits, other deductions, local taxes, and retirement or health deductions. Your actual paycheck can differ, and for states without a verified 2026 table in this build, state tax is still to be added once its table is verified.

Same job, other states

Other jobs in Iowa

Try your own salary in the paycheck calculator