Number of employees in the restaurant industry in the U.S. 2010-2023

The number of people employed in the restaurant industry in the United States fluctuated throughout the past decade. As of May 2023, this figure reached 13.2 million, a slight increase from the previous year's total of 12.5 million from the previous year. The number of employees in the restaurant industry in the U.S. peaked in 2016 at 14.7 million and has since declined. 

What are the hourly wages of fast-food employees in the U.S.?

The hourly wages of U.S. fast food and counter workers varied throughout 2023. As of May of that year, fast food employees in the United States had a median hourly wage of 14.2 U.S. dollars. In total, approximately 10 percent of fast-food employees earned less than 10.67 U.S. dollars per hour, and 90 percent of those same workers earned less than 17.73 U.S. dollars per hour. 

Leading U.S. restaurant chain

The leading restaurant chain in the U.S., by a measure of sales, was McDonald’s in 2022. During that year, the quick service chain experienced sales amounting to 48.67 billion U.S. dollars. McDonald’s was also the most valuable quick service restaurant brand in the world in 2023, with an estimated brand value of over 191 billion U.S. dollars. Starbucks, who came second in the ranking, had an estimated brand value of approximately 61.5 billion U.S. dollars.