Updated
PERM occupation, SOC 35-3023.00, #5 of 1,410 by filings
Fast Food and Counter Workers
- Biggest sponsor
- Akash Management LLC · 11% of its filings
- Busiest state
- SC · 10% of its filings
- Major group
- Food preparation and serving · SOC 35
Weighing an offer for this job?
Where it falls among certified offers, and the four wage levels DOL sets for it by area.
Median wage
$25,584
all PERM $103,272
Filings
7,871
#5 of 1,410
Approval
98.7%
field 96.8%
Median days
472
5 faster than the field
What it pays
Where its median offer sits among every occupation, then the whole ladder of certified offers by year and by state.
Median offered wage
$25,584above 4%
Approval rate
98.7%ahead of 80%
Median days to decision
472 daysahead of 59%
Each bar counts occupations at that value. More
- 5th to 95th
- 25th to 75th
- Median
- 10th and 90th
FY2024
$27,040 median · 716 certified cases
FY2025
$27,300 median · 3,966 certified cases
FY2026
$24,960 median · 2,807 certified cases
- 10th
- $20,800
- -9.1% since FY2024
- Median
- $24,960
- -7.7% since FY2024
- 90th
- $36,400
- +25.0% since FY2024
- 95th
- $41,600
- +33.3% since FY2024
These years are not measuring the same group of filings. The count moves by 5.5 times between the largest year and the smallest, so a change in the ladder is at least partly a change in which employers filed rather than a change in what the work pays. Read the shape, not the difference.
| Fiscal year | Cases | 5th | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 716 | $22,880 | $22,880 | $24,960 | $27,040 | $29,120 | $29,120 | $31,200 |
| FY2025 | 3,966 | $20,020 | $20,800 | $23,660 | $27,300 | $31,200 | $32,240 | $32,240 |
| FY2026 | 2,807 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $21,840 | $24,960 | $29,120 | $36,400 | $41,600 |
A median answers whether pay moved. More
- 5th to 95th
- 25th to 75th
- Median
- 10th and 90th
SC
$21,840 median · 661 certified cases
NC
$20,800 median · 485 certified cases
MO
$25,584 median · 416 certified cases
GA
$20,800 median · 397 certified cases
MN
$29,120 median · 386 certified cases
KS
$23,660 median · 353 certified cases
PA
$23,660 median · 326 certified cases
NY
$31,200 median · 293 certified cases
OH
$27,040 median · 289 certified cases
WI
$24,960 median · 254 certified cases
| State | Cases | 5th | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC | 661 | $19,110 | $20,020 | $21,091 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $23,660 | $27,300 |
| NC | 485 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $20,800 | $24,960 | $24,960 | $24,960 |
| MO | 416 | $21,840 | $23,660 | $23,920 | $25,584 | $30,160 | $30,160 | $30,160 |
| GA | 397 | $18,054 | $18,054 | $20,020 | $20,800 | $22,880 | $24,960 | $27,300 |
| MN | 386 | $27,300 | $27,300 | $27,300 | $29,120 | $29,120 | $29,120 | $31,200 |
| KS | 353 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $22,880 | $23,660 | $23,660 | $27,040 | $27,040 |
| PA | 326 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $23,660 | $23,660 | $24,960 | $24,960 | $24,960 |
| NY | 293 | $27,300 | $27,300 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $33,280 |
| OH | 289 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $23,920 | $27,040 | $27,040 | $27,040 | $27,040 |
| WI | 254 | $20,020 | $21,840 | $22,880 | $24,960 | $25,480 | $27,040 | $27,040 |
One SOC code, one federal process, and a wage range that moves with the state. More
Who files it
The sponsors and firms with the most PERM filings under this code, the places the work sits, and who the workers were.
Sponsors filing it
- Akash Management LLC 837 filings · 99.5% approved
- Phase Three Star LLC 278 filings · 100.0% approved
- Napoli PSC Series LLC 270 filings · 100.0% approved
- SDC Restaurants LLC 218 filings · 100.0% approved
- Omnipotent Brands ESO, LLC 210 filings · 100.0% approved
- Primary Aim LLC 207 filings · 100.0% approved
How this is counted
The employers with the most applications under this code. 2,020 of 7,871 filings, 26% of the total.
Firms filing it
- Momentum Immigration 3,480 filings · 99.8% approved
- Ruby Law Group LLC 1,836 filings · 99.8% approved
- Law Office of David Yurkofsky, Esq. 535 filings · 98.5% approved
- American Immigration Law, PLLC 235 filings · 87.9% approved
- Immilink Holdings, Inc. 195 filings · 100.0% approved
- Immigration Solutions of America, LLC 70 filings · 85.2% approved
How this is counted
The law firms named on the most applications under this code. 6,351 of 7,871 filings, 81% of the total.
Where the jobs are
- South Carolina 748
- North Carolina 487
- Missouri 431
- Georgia 406
- Minnesota 386
- Kansas 353
How this is counted
The worksite state on the application, which is where the job is and not where the company is headquartered. Volume by state across everyone is on the state map. These 6 states cover 2,811 of 7,871 filings.
Where the work is
- Charlotte, NC 245
- Spartanburg, SC 210
- Leechburg, PA 173
- E Northport, NY 148
- Boise, ID 142
- Maple Grove, MN 132
How this is counted
The worksite city on the application, which is where the job is. These 6 cities cover 1,050 of 7,871 filings.
- Every sponsor that files it, by state, approval rate, offered wage and time to a decision
- Every filing for it, PERM, wage requests and H-1B, case by case
Newspapers it advertised in
- 380 cases
Los Angeles Times
- 318 cases
The Orange County Register
- 285 cases
Minneapolis Star Tribune
- 245 cases
The Charlotte Observer
- 224 cases
Florida Times Union
- 218 cases
The San Diego Union-Tribune
How this is counted
The newspaper or professional journal named for each case's two print ads, one count per paper per case, however the filer spelled it.
How long before filing it began
- 0.0%
Under 30 days
- 0.0%
30 to 59 days
- 17%
60 to 89 days
- 45%
90 to 119 days
- 17%
120 to 149 days
- 21%
150 to 180 days
- 0.3%
Over 180 days
How this is counted
Days from the first recruitment step to the filing. 20 C.F.R. § 656.17(e) puts the job order and ads 30 to 180 days before filing.
Who filled these jobs, FY2016 to FY2023
From DOL's old form; the form in use since mid-2023 doesn't carry them. Top six of each.
Country of citizenship
- Nepal 3
- Bangladesh 2
- South Korea 2
- Vietnam 2
- Jamaica 1
- Thailand 1
Worker's education
- None 10
- Associate's 1
Visa held when filed
- F-1 5
- F-2 1
- H-4 1
- J-1 1
Schools
- NATIONAL TOOLS AND ENGINEERING INSTITUTION 1
Fields of study
- MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE 1
The job itself
What O*NET says the work is, what the market pays it by BLS's survey, its outlook, and DOL's wage levels year by year.
- United States3,854,050 jobs
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCCharlotte
- Spartanburg, SCSpartanburg
- Pittsburgh, PALeechburg
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJE Northport
- Boise City, IDBoise
- middle half of pay (BLS)
- median
- 10th to 90th percentile
- DOL's Levels I to IV, left to right
- median PERM offer
| Area | BLS median | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $31,200 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $28,880 | $23,608 | $26,749 | $29,869 | $33,010 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $27,390 | $22,443 | $24,835 | $27,227 | $29,619 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $28,250 | $22,568 | $25,522 | $28,496 | $31,450 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $35,420 | $33,550 | $35,318 | $37,107 | $38,875 |
| Boise City, ID | $29,660 | $22,214 | $25,792 | $29,349 | $32,926 |
How these figures fit together
BLS surveys employers on what they pay everyone in a job; DOL builds its four levels from the same survey a year later (the July 2026 wage year uses BLS's May 2025 estimates). DOL publishes levels by area, not nationally, so the United States line has none. Levels are hourly in DOL's tables; here they're shown a year at 2,080 hours, as DOL computes them. The metros are the ones holding the most of this job's PERM filings, placed by Census's county files.
The block is the middle half of what employers report paying everyone in this job, citizen or not; the ticks under it are DOL's four prevailing wage levels for that metro, the floors a PERM or H-1B offer is held to. More
DOL's levels for this job in Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, year by year
Each July DOL resets the four levels from BLS's newest survey. A determination keeps the figures of the year it was issued in.
| Wage year | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $23,608 | $26,749 | $29,869 | $33,010 |
| 2025-26 | $23,005 | $26,333 | $29,640 | $32,968 |
| 2024-25 | $22,256 | $25,542 | $28,850 | $32,136 |
| 2023-24 | $20,592 | $23,213 | $25,834 | $28,454 |
| 2022-23 | $18,574 | $21,070 | $23,566 | $26,062 |
What the job is
Perform duties such as taking orders and serving food and beverages. Serve customers at counter or from a steam table. May take payment. May prepare food and beverages.
- Preparation
- Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- O*NET Job Zone 1-2
- DOL's education basis
- None
- Wage year 2026-27
- Jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +5.8%
- About 827,400 openings a year (BLS)
- Typical entry
- No formal educational credential
- BLS
Bright Outlook O*NET OnLine lists this job for rapid growth and numerous job openings.
The work, most important first
- Accept payment from customers, and make change as necessary.
- Serve customers in eating places that specialize in fast service and inexpensive carry-out food.
- Request and record customer orders, and compute bills, using cash registers, multi-counting machines, or pencil and paper.
- Balance receipts and payments in cash registers.
- Communicate with customers regarding orders, comments, and complaints.
- Serve food, beverages, or desserts to customers in such settings as take-out counters of restaurants or lunchrooms, business or industrial establishments, hotel rooms, and cars.
The education workers in it report
- 56%
Less than a High School Diploma
- 24%
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 17%
Some College Courses
Titles people use for it
Cafeteria Worker, Counter Worker, Food Service Worker, Server, Cafe Server, Cafeteria Server, Deli Worker (Delicatessen Worker), Dietary Aide.
O*NET also describes Baristas under this SOC code.
Related jobs: Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers, Food Preparation Workers, Food Servers, Nonrestaurant, Baristas, Waiters and Waitresses, Cooks, Restaurant.
This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database and O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. PERM Tracker has modified some of this information (the shares are rounded and only the top tasks are shown); what changed. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Against other jobs
Where this sits in the ranking
Ranked 5 of 1,410 by volume: 4 filed at least as many filings, and 1,405 filed no more.
- Just above
- Project Management Specialists 8,526 filings
- Just below
- Data Scientists 6,928 filings
Other food preparation and serving roles
Occupations sharing this one's SOC major group, which is carried in the first two digits of the code. More
Occupations sharing this one's SOC major group, which is carried in the first two digits of the code. Wages inside a group still swing hard, because the group holds every seniority level and every metro.
The same job on H-1B
5 certified H-1B labor condition applications for this occupation since FY2020, offering a median of $24,000 a year; the middle half ran $20,800 to $32,000. By state and year in the salary explorer.
Notes on these numbers
Reading the wage
A floor, not a salary survey: every level and metro mixed. DOL's four wage levels for this job, by area.
What the median is
The median wage employers committed to in federal filings for this occupation. It mixes every experience level and every metro, and it's a floor: the employer must offer at least the prevailing wage DOL determines for the occupation, level and county. Across all PERM filings the middle half of offered wages runs $45,178 to $141,357, so a figure inside that band is unremarkable whichever occupation it belongs to. The levels page reads DOL's OFLC wage search live.
What these numbers don't say
4 notes
- The code is the identity
- This one is SOC 35-3023.00. Two SOC codes can carry the same job title, so a title that looks duplicated on the ranking is two different occupations. Match on the code when you're checking a specific filing.
- A median isn’t an offer
- It's the middle of all 7,871 wages committed to for this occupation across the country, entry level and principal alike. The same role's medians swing hard by worksite, which the state map shows directly.
- Approval isn’t about the occupation
- The denial rate moves with what happened in the filing rather than with the job title, so nothing here is a property of Fast Food and Counter Workers. The measured factors are on the denial risk page, published as separate rates.
- Nothing here is pending
- All 7,871 counted here carry a decision date, because every case in DOL's disclosure files does, so a case still waiting is in none of them. The largest filer of this occupation is Akash Management LLC. Where the queue stands today is on the processing times page.
The window these figures cover: DOL's PERM disclosure files for fiscal years 2024 to 2026, through the third quarter of 2026, 373,939 decided cases. Nothing pending is counted here. How each figure is built
Weighing an offer?
Compare it against this median, then check the state map, where the same occupation's medians swing hard by worksite.
Setting one?
All 1,410 occupations sort together on the wages page, and denial rates show how outcome moves with the offered wage.
Filings newer than DOL's last published file can't be attributed to this occupation until DOL publishes them. The live list on the case search page carries them by employer.
Case data: DOL quarterly disclosure files (flag.dol.gov) · data through Jun 30, 2026 · quarterly
Employers and firms: Derived from DOL's disclosure files · data through Jun 30, 2026 · rebuilt with each quarterly load
O*NET occupation data: O*NET Database, USDOL/ETA (onetcenter.org) · data through Aug 16, 2026 · twice a year
BLS market pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (bls.gov) · data through May 31, 2025 · yearly, each spring
BLS employment projections: BLS Employment Projections (bls.gov) · data through Dec 31, 2025 · yearly, each autumn
DOL wage tables: DOL OFLC wage data downloads (flag.dol.gov) · data through Jul 1, 2026 · yearly, each july
What each source includes
Case data: Decided PERM cases only. A case still waiting isn't in here, so counts and durations describe finished cases.
Employers and firms: Employers, law firms and occupations ranked from decided cases only.
O*NET occupation data: What O*NET says each occupation is and takes: its description, tasks, Job Zone and the education workers report. A description of the job everywhere, not of any one employer's opening.
BLS market pay: What employers report paying everyone in each job, nationally, by state and by metro, from BLS's yearly survey (May of the year named). Citizens and immigrants alike; not PERM offers.
BLS employment projections: BLS's ten-year projection of each job's employment and yearly openings, and the entry education it calls typical. A projection, not a count.
DOL wage tables: The four prevailing wage levels DOL publishes for every job in every area, each wage year from 2021-22, as DOL's own tables print them. The floors an offer is held to, not what anyone was paid.
Cite this page
Waiting on a PERM case?
- When it'll likely be decided
- An email when DOL moves it