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  • Where Cooks Flip the Most Burgers: States with the Highest Share of Fast Food Cooks

Where Cooks Flip the Most Burgers: States with the Highest Share of Fast Food Cooks

Posted on May 14th, 2025
by Chef's Pencil Staff
Categories:
  • Food Industry News
Featured Image - States with Most Fast Food Jobs

Across the United States, cooking is a profession that spans Michelin-starred fine dining, bustling food trucks, and everything in between. But in many states, the culinary labor force leans heavily toward fast food — a sector that offers quick meals, but not always competitive pay or long-term career paths.

A new Chef’s Pencil analysis reveals which states have the highest concentration of fast food cooks, measured as a share of all employed cooks and chefs. The data, based on a three-year average from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), paints a clear picture: in some parts of the country, fast food isn’t just a dining option — it dominates the cooking profession.

North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kentucky Lead the Pack

The fast food industry looms large in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kentucky – not just as a quick meal option, but as a significant economic force and cultural mainstay. These three states are among the nation’s leaders in fast-food concentration, meaning a high share of their culinary workforce is flipping burgers or frying chicken compared to other states.

According to the analysis, North Carolina tops the list, with a staggering 58% of all cooks in the state working in fast food establishments. West Virginia (54%) and Kentucky (48%) follow closely behind.

North Carolina’s fast food sector is one of the largest in the United States, with an estimated market size of $14.5 billion and over 10,300 fast-food establishments statewide, according to market research report published by IbisWorld.

These establishments collectively employ approximately 194,000 people in the state, underscoring North Carolina’s status as a fast-food hub. Notably, North Carolina has more fast-food cooks (over 87,600) than any state except California — significantly more than other, more populous states like New York, Texas, or Florida. This prominence is partly due to the state’s rapid population growth and extensive interstate highway network, which have attracted major fast-food chains to both bustling cities and rural crossroads.

Fast food is not just convenient in North Carolina; it’s big business, accounting for roughly one-third of all restaurant and foodservice sales in the state. Overall, North Carolina’s restaurant industry generates approximately $43 billion in annual sales.

West Virginia’s food landscape is often defined by its small towns and country roads—places where fast-food restaurants are frequently the primary, and sometimes the only, dining option. Economically, the state’s fast-food sector is valued at approximately $1.7 billion, with just over 1,500 establishments statewide, according to IBISWorld. While this figure may seem modest compared to North Carolina, it is significant relative to West Virginia’s smaller population.

Career advancement in the culinary field is also limited in West Virginia. Head cooks and chefs account for just 0.4% of all cooks in the state—the third-lowest ratio in the country.

Kentucky, the birthplace of KFC—one of the most recognizable fast food brands worldwide—ranks among the top three states where fast food cooks make up nearly half of all cooks. But it’s not just KFC: Yum! Brands, the parent company of KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, is headquartered in Louisville, making the city a kind of corporate fast-food capital.

Culturally, this dominance isn’t surprising—fast, fried, and affordable food aligns perfectly with Kentucky’s blend of urban and rural lifestyles. In cities like Louisville and Lexington, fast food competes with a growing food scene but still holds its own, especially in the suburbs and for a quick work lunch. In rural Kentucky, the local Dairy Queen or KFC often doubles as the town’s social hub.

Other states with high ratios include:

  • Missouri – 46%
  • Alabama – 45%
  • California – 40%
  • Tennessee – 32%

In contrast, states with more diversified food industries — including Hawaii (6%), Massachusetts (9%), and Rhode Island (10%) — report significantly lower shares of fast food cooks.

These figures reflect more than just consumer preference; they hint at deeper economic and cultural dynamics. A high fast food cook ratio may signal limited culinary infrastructure, fewer full-service dining options, or a restaurant labor market skewed toward lower-wage, high-turnover jobs.

What Are Fast Food Cooks Earning?

Our team has also looked at the latest hourly pay data (2024 figures, released April 2025 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) for fast food cooks, as well as pay for cooks working in non-fast food restaurants and pay for chefs and cooks.

While pay rates vary, the trend is consistent: fast food cooks earn significantly less than their counterparts in full-service restaurants — and far less than head cooks or chefs.

The national median hourly pay for fast food cooks is around $14–$15, but it falls below that in many Southern states. In three states — Louisiana ($10.55), Mississippi ($10.70), and West Virginia ($10.96) — fast food cooks earn a median hourly wage of less than $11. In contrast, those in Hawaii earn nearly twice as much, with a median hourly pay of $19.38, though they also face a significantly higher cost of living.

The wage gap becomes even more stark when visualized: in many states where fast food cooks dominate, wages also tend to be lower across the board.

Median hourly pay for fast food cooks in each U.S. state based on 2024 BLS data

See how this compares to median pay for line cooks (listed as “Cooks, Restaurant” by the BLS) and Chefs & Head Cooks.

Median hourly pay for line cooks in the U.S. based on 2024 BLS data
Average pay for chefs and head cooks in the US in 2024

Limited-Service Restaurant Density vs. Fast Food Cooks: A Surprising Mismatch

Our team also analyzed the number of limited-service restaurants — where fast food chains are among the largest employers — and calculated the number of such establishments per capita. This analysis is based on the most recent data on limited-service restaurants published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2022, using population estimates from the same year for the per capita calculation.

This reveals a surprising disconnect between the availability of limited-service restaurants (fast food, fast casual and takeout spots) and the share of culinary workers employed as fast food cooks in U.S. states. While some states show a clear correlation between the two metrics, others highlight a striking mismatch.

The Expected Leaders: North Carolina, West Virginia, and Kentucky

According to our analysis, North Carolina has the highest concentration of fast food cooks in the country, with 58% of all employed cooks working in fast food establishments. West Virginia follows at 54%, and Kentucky at 48%. These figures align with expectations, as these states also have relatively high densities of limited-service restaurants.

Hawaii: A Notable Outlier

Hawaii stands out as an extreme outlier in our analysis. Despite having the highest density of limited-service restaurants in the country—with just 916 people per restaurant—only 6% of its cooks work in fast food establishments. This is the lowest ratio of fast food cooks among all states.

limited-service restaurants per capita among US states (2022 data and published in 2025)

To better understand this discrepancy, we reached out to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which explained that their classification system distinguishes between several types of cooks based on job duties rather than job titles. According to the BLS, cooks in Hawaii may be classified under other categories such as “Cooks, Restaurant” if they prepare a wide range of dishes in full-service settings, or “Cooks, Short Order” if they handle freshly prepared meals in fast casual or quick-service locations. Even in limited-service restaurants, cooks who perform broader culinary tasks may not be categorized as fast food cooks.

Jobs are classified into SOC categories based on the job duties performed, rather than based on the job title or the industry in which the worker is employed. OEWS Information Desk, Bureau of Labor Statistics

In addition, in response to a Chef’s Pencil inquiry, the California Employment Development Department (EDD) clarified that some workers in fast-food and fast-casual restaurants who, in addition to preparing food, also take orders and process payments may be more generally categorized as “fast food and counter workers.” This classification can skew the reported number of fast-food cooks in some states.

Hawaii may be an outlier because it has 30 times more culinary workers categorized as “fast food and counter workers” compared to just three times more in California. This suggests that while Hawaii has a high density of limited-service restaurants, many of those establishments may employ workers who not only prepare food but also take orders and serve beverages, leading them to be counted under the general “Fast Food and Counter Workers” category.

Other States with a Mismatch

  • New York: Despite a high density of limited-service restaurants (1,134 people per restaurant), only 17% of cooks work in fast food, suggesting a more diversified culinary industry.
  • Massachusetts: With 1,312 people per limited-service restaurant and only 9% of cooks employed in fast food, the state’s culinary workforce is heavily concentrated in full-service and fine dining.

Why This Matters

This data highlights an often-overlooked divide in the food world — not between cuisines, but between career pathways. While chefs in fine dining may earn prestige, autonomy, and better wages, roughly a quarter of cooks in the U.S. work behind the counters of fast food chains, often with limited upward mobility.

Methodology

This analysis by Chef’s Pencil is based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), specifically the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. Our primary focus was on identifying the share of fast food cooks (SOC 35-2011) among all employed cooks and chefs in each state. The BLS defines fast food cooks as those who prepare and cook food in fast food restaurants with limited menus, using large-volume, single-purpose equipment.

Classification Clarifications: To better understand how fast food cooks are categorized, we reached out to the BLS for clarification on their classification system, as well as to the California Department of Labor for insights into how fast casual establishments are treated in the data.

Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. We used NAICS 722513 (Limited-Service Restaurants) data from the U.S. Employment and Wages Data Viewer, published in 2022, along with population data from the same year, to calculate the number of limited-service restaurants per capita across all U.S. states. This approach allowed for a standardized comparison of fast-food and fast-casual restaurant density relative to state populations.

Time Frame: Three-year average data (2022 through 2024). For Rhode Island, the data reflects a two-year average (2022–2023) because 2024 data for fast food cooks was unavailable.

Calculation Method: We calculated the share of fast food cooks in each state by dividing the number of fast food cooks (SOC 35-2011) by the total number of all cooks and chefs in that state.

Chef's Pencil Staff

Our editorial team is responsible for the research, creation, and publishing of in-house studies, original reports and articles on food trends, industry news and guides.

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