How Much Does McDonald's Pay? Hourly Wages by Role

Most McDonald's restaurants are run by franchisees, which are independent owners who hire their own crews and set their own pay within local law. That is the main reason there is no single McDonald's hourly rate. Two restaurants in the same city can post different starting wages, and a corporate-owned restaurant can differ from both.

This page combines three kinds of data. Payscale averages come from employees who report their own pay. The BLS figures cover fast food and counter workers, food service supervisors and food service managers across the whole industry, so they show the local market and are not McDonald's pay. The California figure is a legal minimum for large chains, reported by CalMatters.

The employee-reported average is $13.56/hr, and the reported range runs from $10.09/hr to $17.54/hr. The low and high ends mix different titles, restaurants and states, so they show the spread rather than a typical starting rate.

Reported pay by job title is shown below. Cashier is the lowest-paid title in the data, and crew leader is the highest.

Crew leaders usually coordinate the shift and handle responsibilities beyond the register or grill, which is the kind of step that comes with a pay increase. Titles and duties differ between franchisees.

State law drives fast food pay more than any other factor. The table shows pay for fast food and counter workers across the industry, with the typical figure and the low and high ends of the reported range, for the United States and five states.

California stands well above Texas and Florida. That is partly the result of a state law for large fast food chains, covered next. The 10th percentile figure also shows how low the bottom of the range can sit in states without a higher legal floor.

California sets a separate minimum for fast food chains with 60 or more locations. CalMatters reports it at $20/hr. A McDonald's restaurant in California is covered by that rule, so posted pay there should start at or above the legal minimum.

Other states and cities have their own minimum wages, and some are higher than the federal one. Check the rule for your location before you compare offers.

McDonald's does not publish a supervisor or manager wage that this page can cite. The BLS figures below show what food service supervisors and managers earn across the restaurant industry, which is a reasonable stand-in for a shift manager and a general manager.

Managers across the industry earn more than crew in every row. These are industry-wide numbers for the occupation, and McDonald's franchisees may pay more or less.

McDonald's pays by the hour for crew roles, so daily pay equals the hourly rate times the hours on your shift. For a rough yearly figure, multiply the hourly rate by your typical weekly hours and the number of weeks you work. Part-time schedules, shift changes and unpaid breaks all affect the result, so use the real schedule in your offer rather than a standard full-time assumption.

The yearly number you see reported for salaried managers may include bonuses. Ask the franchisee or recruiter how the role is paid and what is guaranteed.

1. Search the McDonald's careers site, or the owner's own listing, for your restaurant.
2. Open the posting and look for the hourly rate or range.
3. Ask whether the restaurant is franchised and who sets pay.
4. Confirm the rate, schedule and any first-review timing before you accept.