How much do McDonald’s employees make a year? List of salaries by state
Salaries vary for staff due to the company being set up as a number of seperate franchises across the US.


The annual pay for McDonald’s employees in the United States varies depending on the position, location, and experience. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a McDonald’s employee in the United States is approximately $21,000 per year for crew members and $35,000 per year for managers. However, this can vary widely based on individual factors. Overall, according to Zippia, the average employee salary at the chain is $25,163, working out at $12.10 an hour.
Starting pay is around $17,000 a year.
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Most McDonald’s restaurants are franchises meaning every state and restaurant is likely to have different salalries. Wages in company-owned restaurants were increased by an average of 10% in 2021.
It is important to note is that McDonald’s does pay above the federal minimum wage, though that doesn’t mean all its workers live comfortably as cost of living pressures mean salaries are being pushed to the limit. Strikes were conducted by workers throughout 2022 in protest at their salary not being at a $15 an hour as standard.
“This is the only way we’re going to have a voice that represents us, so we can be listened to and not be ignored. We shouldn’t have to risk our health to make a living,” Jasmina Alfaro, one of the striking workers at a McDonald’s in Los Angeles said at the time.
Average McDonald’s worker pay for top 20 states
- Massachusetts: $33,462
- Maine: $32,098
- Washington: $30,824
- California: $30,443
- New York: $30,283
- Oregon: $29,722
- Hawaii: $28,774
- District of Columbia: $28,147
- Minnesota: $27,481
- Maryland: $26,847
- Colorado: $26,791
- Illinois: $26,185
- Pennsylvania: $26,011
- Delaware: $25,702
- Arizona: $25,611
- Michigan: $25,596
- Montana: $25,480
- Nevada: $25,146
- Ohio $24,738
- Utah: $24,667