CDCareer Decision

Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Hickory, NC

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Cooks, Fast Food in Hickory, NC have a median annual salary of $27,550, with 2,650 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $21,810 at the 10th percentile to $34,310 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$27,550

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$13.25

Employment

2,650

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$21,810
10th
$22,640
25th
$27,550
Median
$29,180
75th
$34,310
90th

Local compared with national

Hickory, NC

$27,550

Median annual · 2025

United States

$30,890

Median annual · 2025

The Hickory, NC median is 10.8% below the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $3,340).

Top skills

  1. 1.Service OrientationImportance 3.1
  2. 2.Active ListeningImportance 3.0
  3. 3.SpeakingImportance 2.9
  4. 4.Reading ComprehensionImportance 2.8
  5. 5.CoordinationImportance 2.8
  6. 6.Critical ThinkingImportance 2.6
  7. 7.MonitoringImportance 2.6
  8. 8.Social PerceptivenessImportance 2.5
  9. 9.Time ManagementImportance 2.5
  10. 10.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 2.4
  11. 11.Operations MonitoringImportance 2.3
  12. 12.WritingImportance 2.1

Career information

Education and experience

Experience
None
Job zone
2

Technology used

  • Aldelo Systems Aldelo for Restaurants Pro
  • Foodman Home-Delivery
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word
  • Plexis Software Plexis POS
  • RestaurantPlus PRO

Common tasks

  • Prepare dough, following recipe.
  • Order and take delivery of supplies.
  • Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.
  • Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.
  • Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.
  • Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.
  • Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.
  • Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.
  • Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.
  • Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Cooks, Fast Food salary in other locations

Other occupations in Hickory, NC