How much do cooks, fast food make in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area?

What the Cooks, Fast Food median says in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the Cooks, Fast Food median in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area at $23,690 per year. Median means the middle of the published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. The row is tied to SOC 35-2011 and BLS area 3700002.

BLS lists 5,070 wage and salary jobs for this exact role-place row. That is a survey estimate. It is not a count of open posts. The local mean is $25,440 per year. Mean uses all wage values behind the estimate, so high or low values can move it away from the median.

Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area's Cooks, Fast Food median is 23.3% below the U.S. Cooks, Fast Food median of $30,890 on the same published median. Both values use the same job code and source date. They do not account for prices, taxes, benefits, hours, or your work history.

Read source key 35-2011 with area 3700002

This page exists because the BLS artifact has one row for SOC 35-2011 and area 3700002. SOC 35-2011 names Cooks, Fast Food. Area 3700002 names Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Both keys must match before WageScope can show or index this answer.

The 35-2011/3700002 row has 5,070 wage and salary jobs. There are 21.28 for each 1,000 local jobs. The location quotient is 5.16. Each value stays under the same job and area codes.

For 35-2011/3700002, the annual median is $23,690 per year, while the matching mean is $25,440 per year. The row is published with annual and hourly fields. WageScope does not switch units to fill a blank.

• 35-2011/3700002 10th percentile: $21,200 per year.
• 35-2011/3700002 25th percentile: $22,610 per year.
• 35-2011/3700002 median: $23,690 per year.
• 35-2011/3700002 75th percentile: $27,130 per year.
• 35-2011/3700002 90th percentile: $34,030 per year.
• 35-2011/3700002 employment RSE: 10%. Mean-wage RSE: 2.6%.
• 35-2011/3700002 has no suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.

BLS area 3700002 facts behind this Cooks, Fast Food page

Area 3700002 reports 238,010 wage and salary jobs across all covered occupations. Its annual mean is $50,480. Its annual median is $42,140. The employment RSE is 0%. The mean-wage RSE is 0.5%. These are facts for the whole area. They do not replace the 35-2011 row.

The all-jobs wage ladder in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area runs from $26,550 at the 10th percentile to $80,990 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $32,580. The median is $42,140. The 75th percentile is $58,050. This is a place check, not a pay range for Cooks, Fast Food.

The source rows below are the six largest detailed roles in the bounded area file. Each keeps its own SOC code. They help a reader spot-check area 3700002. They do not show related skills or a path into Cooks, Fast Food.

• 1. Cashiers. Area: 3700002. SOC: 41-2011. Jobs: 6,840. Yearly median: $27,400. Jobs per 1,000: 28.74. Location quotient: 1.45.
• 2. Fast Food and Counter Workers. Area: 3700002. SOC: 35-3023. Jobs: 6,080. Yearly median: $25,900. Jobs per 1,000: 25.54. Location quotient: 1.03.
• 3. Retail Salespersons. Area: 3700002. SOC: 41-2031. Jobs: 5,630. Yearly median: $30,100. Jobs per 1,000: 23.67. Location quotient: 0.94.
• 4. Home Health and Personal Care Aides. Area: 3700002. SOC: 31-1120. Jobs: 5,290. Yearly median: $29,610. Jobs per 1,000: 22.21. Location quotient: 0.8.
• 5. Stockers and Order Fillers. Area: 3700002. SOC: 53-7065. Jobs: 4,960. Yearly median: $34,680. Jobs per 1,000: 20.85. Location quotient: 1.14.
• 6. Nursing Assistants. Area: 3700002. SOC: 31-1131. Jobs: 4,720. Yearly median: $36,560. Jobs per 1,000: 19.85. Location quotient: 2.13.

Read the Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area wage ladder for Cooks, Fast Food

The 10th percentile is $21,200 per year. The 25th percentile is $22,610 per year. The median is $23,690 per year. The 75th percentile is $27,130 per year. The 90th percentile is $34,030 per year.

A percentile is a rank point, not a career stage. The 10th percentile does not mean new-worker pay. The 90th percentile does not mean a wage that comes after a set number of years. The points show how the wage values spread in the source. They do not say why one job sits at one point.

The middle half runs from $22,610 per year to $27,130 per year. The 10th-to-90th span is $12,830. Use the full ladder when a job post sits far from the median.

Compare Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area with its state and the U.S.

Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has a annual median of $23,690 per year. North Carolina has $27,190 per year. The U.S. row has $30,890 per year. WageScope keeps annual and hourly values apart.

Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area is 12.9% below North Carolina on the same published median. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area is 23.3% below the United States on the same published median. A gap can reflect many things that are not in this row. WageScope reports the gap but does not name a cause.

The state and U.S. rows are benchmarks, not replacements. They do not fill missing local facts. A state can hold many local labor markets. A national row can hold many states. Read the local row first, then use the broader rows to see scale.

Where Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area sits for Cooks, Fast Food

Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area ranks 92 of 112 among nonmetro areas with a published annual median for Cooks, Fast Food. The list keeps one SOC code, one map type, one wage metric, and one BLS release. It skips rows without the matching median.

Rank 92 of 112 is not a place score. A small wage gap can move a row several spots. The rank does not add local prices, job count, concentration, commute, taxes, or work rules. Use it only to find where the published median falls inside this like-for-like set.

The nearby rows below are the closest ranks, not chosen cities. Their pay, job counts, and local shares can differ. Open a peer page before making a deeper comparison. A title and one number are not enough for a move or pay choice.

• 89. Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $24,050 per year. BLS estimates 950 jobs. The location quotient is 3.4.
• 90. Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $24,050 per year. BLS estimates 820 jobs. The location quotient is 3.07.
• 91. Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $23,990 per year. BLS estimates 540 jobs. The location quotient is 1.12.
• 93. South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $23,440 per year. BLS estimates 2,000 jobs. The location quotient is 2.82.
• 94. North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous). The Cooks, Fast Food median is $23,040 per year. BLS estimates 890 jobs. The location quotient is 0.87.
• 95. Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $23,030 per year. BLS estimates 1,950 jobs. The location quotient is 6.22.

Where Cooks, Fast Food medians lead among nonmetro areas

The rows below use the same SOC 35-2011, the same annual median, the same May 2025 BLS release, and the same nonmetro map type. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area has the highest published median in this set, at $42,380 per year. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area sits at $23,690 per year.

A pay lead is one fact. It does not show the size of the job base. It does not show how common Cooks, Fast Food is in the local mix. It also does not add local prices. The bullets keep the median, job count, and location quotient together so a high wage is not read as a full market score.

Use this list to choose a deeper pair, not to choose a place. Open the two local pages. Check the full wage ladder, the job scale, the survey limits, and the exact BEA price row when present. A missing median stays out of this rank instead of becoming zero.

• 1. Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $42,380 per year, or $18,690 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 400 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 1.53.
• 2. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $42,330 per year, or $18,640 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 560 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 1.31.
• 3. North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $42,140 per year, or $18,450 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 620 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 1.37.
• 4. Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $40,710 per year, or $17,020 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists Not published jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is Not published.
• 5. Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $39,120 per year, or $15,430 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 210 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 0.47.
• 6. Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $38,380 per year, or $14,690 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 180 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 0.52.
• 7. Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $38,210 per year, or $14,520 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 240 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 0.59.
• 8. Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area has a Cooks, Fast Food median of $38,130 per year, or $14,440 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 190 jobs there, compared with 5,070 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. The location quotient is 0.47.

Where BLS counts the most Cooks, Fast Food jobs

Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has the largest published nonmetro job estimate for Cooks, Fast Food in this same-source set, at 6,370 jobs. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has 5,070. The count shows covered job scale, not open posts.

A large job base can have a lower median than a smaller one. It can also have a location quotient near or below 1. That is why WageScope does not blend job count, pay, and local share. Each field keeps its name and unit. The rows below let you compare all three without making one score.

Current MeritLog listings can add a dated view of employer-title matches. They do not change this May 2025 order. A place with few current cards can still have a large BLS job estimate. A place with several cards can still have a smaller estimate. The sources use different clocks and scopes.

• 1. Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has 6,370 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 1,300 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $22,680 per year, or $1,010 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 5.85.
• 2. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has 5,070 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 0 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $23,690 per year, or $0 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 5.16.
• 3. Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has 4,350 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 720 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $24,260 per year, or $570 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 4.17.
• 4. Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area has 4,150 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 920 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 6.5.
• 5. Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area has 3,820 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 1,250 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 5.62.
• 6. Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area has 3,760 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 1,310 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $22,970 per year, or $720 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 6.26.
• 7. Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area has 2,540 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 2,530 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $22,350 per year, or $1,340 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 3.56.
• 8. Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area has 2,220 estimated Cooks, Fast Food jobs, a gap of 2,850 jobs from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its median is $27,130 per year, or $3,440 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. Its location quotient is 3.53.

Where Cooks, Fast Food takes the largest share of local jobs

Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area has the highest published location quotient in this nonmetro set, at 6.5. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has 5.16. A value above 1 means the role's local job share is larger than its national share.

A high quotient can come from a small local job base. It does not prove more jobs, more posts, faster growth, or higher pay. The bullets keep each quotient beside its BLS job count and median. This lets a reader see when the three measures point in different ways.

Use this list to ask where Cooks, Fast Food is a large part of the local mix. Use the employment list to ask where BLS counts the most jobs. Use the pay list to ask where the median is highest. None of those lists decides where a person should work.

• 1. Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 6.5, a gap of 1.34 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 4,150 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 2. Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 6.5, a gap of 1.34 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 2,130 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 3. Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 6.26, a gap of 1.10 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 3,760 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $22,970 per year, or $720 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 4. Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 6.22, a gap of 1.06 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 1,950 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $23,030 per year, or $660 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 5. Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 5.85, a gap of 0.69 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 6,370 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $22,680 per year, or $1,010 below Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 6. Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 5.62, a gap of 0.46 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 3,820 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 7. Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 5.16, a gap of 0.00 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 5,070 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $23,690 per year, or $0 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.
• 8. North Missouri nonmetropolitan area has a location quotient of 4.63, a gap of 0.53 from Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. BLS lists 2,030 Cooks, Fast Food jobs and a median of $28,600 per year, or $4,910 above Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area.

How common Cooks, Fast Food is in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

BLS lists 5,070 Cooks, Fast Food jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. It also lists 21.28 jobs per 1,000 local jobs. Jobs per 1,000 turns the count into a rate. It helps compare places of different size. It does not show open posts or hiring speed.

The location quotient is 5.16. A value of 1 means Cooks, Fast Food has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. This row is higher than 1. The quotient is a share check, not a wage or a growth measure.

Read the three values as separate facts. Employment asks how many covered jobs BLS estimated. Jobs per 1,000 asks how much of the local job base the role takes. Location quotient asks how that share compares with the national share. None of them tells you how many posts are open today.

Cooks, Fast Food beside other roles in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

The all-occupations median in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area is $42,140 per year. The Cooks, Fast Food median is $23,690 per year. Cooks, Fast Food is 43.8% below the local all-occupations median on the same published median. This compares one role with the full covered job mix.

The nearby role medians below come from the bounded detailed-role table for Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. They are close by wage, not by task. A small wage gap does not mean two jobs need the same skill or lead to the same career. Official titles keep their own SOC codes and source rows.

Use the list to spot the local wage mix around Cooks, Fast Food. Then open the role page you mean. A role can have a similar median and a very different job count or local share. The pay number alone cannot show fit, demand, or a path between jobs.

• 1. Fast Food and Counter Workers, SOC 35-3023, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $25,900 per year. BLS lists 6,080 jobs and a location quotient of 1.03.
• 2. Cashiers, SOC 41-2011, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $27,400 per year. BLS lists 6,840 jobs and a location quotient of 1.45.
• 3. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary, SOC 25-9045, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $28,030 per year. BLS lists 3,510 jobs and a location quotient of 1.61.
• 4. Waiters and Waitresses, SOC 35-3031, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $28,690 per year. BLS lists 2,260 jobs and a location quotient of 0.65.
• 5. Home Health and Personal Care Aides, SOC 31-1120, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $29,610 per year. BLS lists 5,290 jobs and a location quotient of 0.8.
• 6. Cooks, Restaurant, SOC 35-2014, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $30,090 per year. BLS lists 1,680 jobs and a location quotient of 0.78.
• 7. Retail Salespersons, SOC 41-2031, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $30,100 per year. BLS lists 5,630 jobs and a location quotient of 0.94.
• 8. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, SOC 37-2011, has a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area median of $33,430 per year. BLS lists 3,270 jobs and a location quotient of 0.97.

The largest detailed roles in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

Cashiers is the largest detailed occupation in the bounded Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area table, at 6,840 jobs. Cooks, Fast Food has 5,070 jobs in its exact role-place row. The two counts show where this role sits beside other large parts of the local job base.

The all-occupations job count is 238,010. The detailed list below is only a bounded view of that larger mix. It does not sum to every local job. It does not include a blank role as zero. It helps explain why one role's wage and job count should not stand in for the whole area.

A large role can have a lower median. A smaller role can have a higher one. Job count does not show current posts, job quality, or growth. Use the list to see local scale. Then keep Cooks, Fast Food's own median, spread, and share in their own fields.

• 1. Cashiers has 6,840 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 1,770 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $27,400 per year, or $3,710 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.45.
• 2. Fast Food and Counter Workers has 6,080 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 1,010 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $25,900 per year, or $2,210 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.03.
• 3. Retail Salespersons has 5,630 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 560 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $30,100 per year, or $6,410 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 0.94.
• 4. Home Health and Personal Care Aides has 5,290 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 220 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $29,610 per year, or $5,920 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 0.8.
• 5. Stockers and Order Fillers has 4,960 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 110 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $34,680 per year, or $10,990 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.14.
• 6. Nursing Assistants has 4,720 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 350 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $36,560 per year, or $12,870 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 2.13.
• 7. Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand has 4,530 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 540 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $35,680 per year, or $11,990 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.
• 8. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has 4,280 jobs in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 790 from Cooks, Fast Food. Its median is $47,360 per year, or $23,670 above Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 2.02.

Published role medians around Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

General and Operations Managers has the highest published median in the bounded Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area role table, at $84,540 per year. Cooks, Fast Food has $23,690 per year. This puts the role beside a local pay range without blending the source rows.

The local all-occupations median is $42,140 per year. A role above that mark is not better. A role below it is not worse. The mark only shows where the role's published median sits against the full covered job mix. Job tasks, level, hours, and work setting are separate facts.

The bullets keep each SOC title, job count, median, and local share together. Use them to find a role page worth opening. Do not use a close median as proof that two roles share skills or that one is a path to the other.

• 1. General and Operations Managers has a median of $84,540 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $60,850 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 2,580 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 0.48.
• 2. Registered Nurses has a median of $81,470 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $57,780 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 4,210 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 0.81.
• 3. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers has a median of $65,930 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $42,240 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 1,870 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.81.
• 4. Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education has a median of $53,490 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $29,800 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 2,080 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.27.
• 5. Correctional Officers and Jailers has a median of $50,550 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $26,860 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 2,860 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 4.92.
• 6. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers has a median of $49,080 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $25,390 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 3,980 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.26.
• 7. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General has a median of $47,490 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $23,800 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 2,340 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 1.
• 8. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a median of $47,360 per year in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, or $23,670 above Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 4,280 jobs, compared with 5,070 for Cooks, Fast Food. Its location quotient is 2.02.

Roles with the largest local share in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area

Correctional Officers and Jailers has the highest location quotient in the bounded Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area role table, at 4.92. Cooks, Fast Food has 5.16. Both values compare a local job share with the matching national share.

A quotient above 1 means the role takes a larger share of local jobs than it does across the nation. It does not mean more jobs than every other role. It does not mean open posts, growth, or high pay. The job count and median beside each row answer those other narrow questions.

The local role-share mix can differ a lot from the pay mix. Read both lists. Then compare Cooks, Fast Food with the same SOC code in another place. This keeps a broad area pattern from replacing the exact role-place row.

• 1. Correctional Officers and Jailers has a location quotient of 4.92 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 0.24 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 2,860 jobs and a median of $50,550 per year, or $26,860 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 2. Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators has a location quotient of 3.28 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 1.88 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 3,890 jobs and a median of $39,980 per year, or $16,290 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 3. Nursing Assistants has a location quotient of 2.13 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.03 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 4,720 jobs and a median of $36,560 per year, or $12,870 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 4. Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education has a location quotient of 2.02 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.14 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 4,280 jobs and a median of $47,360 per year, or $23,670 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 5. Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers has a location quotient of 1.87 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.29 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 1,710 jobs and a median of $43,000 per year, or $19,310 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 6. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers has a location quotient of 1.81 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.35 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 1,870 jobs and a median of $65,930 per year, or $42,240 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 7. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators has a location quotient of 1.77 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.39 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 3,810 jobs and a median of $37,180 per year, or $13,490 above Cooks, Fast Food.
• 8. Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary has a location quotient of 1.61 in Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area, a gap of 3.55 from Cooks, Fast Food. BLS lists 3,510 jobs and a median of $28,030 per year, or $4,340 above Cooks, Fast Food.

What $23,690 may mean after the Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area price level

WageScope has no exact approved 2024 BEA price row for Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area. It does not use a nearby place or a broad state value as a stand-in. The $23,690 BLS median stays a nominal wage.

No price row means no national-price-dollar proxy. It does not mean prices match the U.S. level. It does not say whether a wage goes far or not. The source is missing for this exact map key, so the price answer stays open.

You can still compare Cooks, Fast Food with the U.S. or with like nonmetro areas on the same BLS metric. Keep that as a nominal wage comparison. Add price-level context only when an exact reviewed row exists.

How much care to use with the Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area row

The employment RSE for this Cooks, Fast Food row is 10%. The mean-wage RSE is 2.6%. RSE means relative standard error. It is a survey precision flag. A smaller value often means less sampling uncertainty. It is not the chance that one person's pay is right or wrong.

The employment RSE belongs to the 5,070 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE belongs to the $25,440 mean. BLS does not give the same RSE field for the median or every percentile. WageScope does not move an RSE from one field to another.

A local row can change in a new release. A small role-place sample can also have more survey uncertainty than a broad national row. Keep the May 2025 date next to the value. Do not mix a newer job post with the BLS date as if both facts came from one clock.

Use Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area wage data before you tailor

The job block looks for strict employer-title matches to Cooks, Fast Food. It uses a Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area place filter only when the public place list has an exact approved match. If that match is not safe, the page says the jobs are not narrowed to this place. A false negative is safer than showing a different role.

Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. Listings can change between visits while the survey figures stay tied to their release date. A listing range does not replace the $23,690 BLS median. The listing and survey answer different questions.

Open one listing. Check its level, work place, pay range, and needs. Then tailor with work facts you can support. Do not turn a wage, job count, rank, or price proxy into a résumé claim. The public page is read only. It does not save a job or start a draft on load.

What the Cooks, Fast Food row for Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area does not claim

The row does not say what one person earns. It does not promise a job, offer, raise, or move result. It does not say why the local median differs from the U.S. row. It does not add tips, bonus pay, stock, benefits, taxes, or work hours unless those items are in the BLS wage measure.

The 5,070 job estimate is not a live opening count. The location quotient of 5.16 is not a growth score. Rank 92 of 112 is not a place score. A missing price index is not a personal budget.

Use the row for one clear task. Read the May 2025 wage spread for SOC 35-2011 in BLS area 3700002. Compare the same metric with the state and U.S. rows. Add the separate 2024 price level when present. Inspect a dated job match. Then use confirmed work facts for a résumé.