A new survey shows where fast food workers struggle the most to make ends meet
A new survey finds that fast food workers cannot afford basic living expenses in every large American metropolitan area, including San Francisco, Columbus, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Dallas and more cities throughout the nation.
Even working full-time, employees fall 'significantly short of earning a living wage.' To do so, the survey reports, they'd have to work up to 78 hours a week — nearly double full-time.
'No one has ever expected to get rich off of fast food wages, but the fact that these workers can't even expect a livable wage is troubling,' said Lending Tree financial analyst Matt Schulz, who oversaw the survey. 'Unfortunately, the situation isn't likely to get better anytime soon.'
Across the 50 largest cities in the United States, if fast food workers — or other minimum wage earners or tip-dependent workers — work for 40 hours a week for 52 weeks a year, they still cannot cover basic living expenses. Full-time fast food workers earn between 23 percent (in Fresno, California) and 48 percent (Atlanta, Georgia) less than the living wage, based on an average hourly wage of $15.07.
Some politicians, primarily Democrats, contend that the minimum wage ought to be raised.
Others, primarily Republicans, argue that doing so is bad for business and could cause inflation. Public opinion also indicates that Americans think fast food jobs are meant to be part-time positions for students and teenagers.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the majority of fast food positions are held by adults, particularly women and people of color. Further research finds that, in 2024, 68 percent of fast food workers were the primary income earners for their families.
Meanwhile, some fast food restaurants are pushing back on the idea that all of their workforce is low-wage — and trying to demonstrate that fast food is a viable career path.
Writer Rob Henderson posted on social media a recruiting poster from a fast food restaurant showing how employees can earn more as they gain more responsibility, with salaries over six-figures for general managers.
Underneath the post, Henderson linked to an article he wrote headlined, 'Apparently, A Lot Of Aspirational Elites Think Working At Chipotle or Panda Express Is Beneath Them Even Though It Absolutely Is Not.'
It is true that hiking wages can hurt small businesses and lead to more automation. The California Globe reports that California's brand-new minimum wage of $20, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024, cost fast food workers the equivalent of 7 weeks of lost work.
Employees lost hours, lost benefits or entirely lost their jobs when business owners either could not afford to pay workers or found ways to reduce their staff. Other employers raised menu prices, putting the burden on the consumer — which often might include low wage workers.
Now the Fast Food Council of California is encouraging another wage increase to $20.70 an hour. Operators are already planning ways to adapt their business and predict that job losses and menu price raises will continue.
U.S. President Donald Trump manned a McDonalds shift in Pennsylvania during his 2024 presidential campaign. At that time he recognized that the federal minimum wage — $6.25 — is very low and said that, while he would consider raising it, doing so would be 'complicated.'
Nevertheless, by the end of 2025, 23 states plan to raise their minimum wage floors. 20 other states remain at the $7.25 federal minimum wage floor, including Utah.
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