How Much Does McDonald’s Pay? (Full Guide)

McDonald’s is by far the largest fast food chain in the world and also one of the best-known global brand names. The company has more than 39,000 locations in about 100 countries. There are 13,342 McDonald’s locations in the United States as of September 2023, boasting 1.7 Million employees. But the company is always hiring more.

Why is this?

Well, as the fast food industry is growing across the world, it is only natural that the biggest fast food name needs to increase its capacity. So, let’s get started with all the information you need, including:

How much does McDonald’s pay its employees?

This is a tough question to answer as McDonald’s is the largest global fast food chain, and so the pay rates change according to wage standards from country to country. Even across the US, the wage can change from state to state. 

To unofficially scale the differences in pay rates and prices across the globe, the Big Mac index is sometimes used. This is a chart that represents the cost of a Big Mac across various countries and states. For example, if you were to ask across the globe how many Big Macs can you get for $50, the answer will not be the same. 

In India, you can get 30 Big Macs for $50, whereas, in Switzerland, you can only get 7. Using this unofficial index, the hourly pay rate is adjusted accordingly. In the US the average wage for all entry-level Mcdonald’s employees is around $12 per hour. From now on, I will keep any discussion on the rate of pay as the average in the USA.

Read more: Does McDonald’s Have Wi-Fi?

How much do McDonald’s pay per hour?

In 2023, the average crew member at McDonald’s hourly rate is $12.33 per hour. In 2021, the hourly wage was $11.76. While the increase may not seem much, it definitely adds up when viewed as a yearly wage.

How much does McDonalds pay per week?

When working at Mcdonald’s in the US, a staff member will earn an average of $493 per week. This calculation is based on an employee who works 40 hours per week, although this doesn’t take holidays or vacation days into account. For an employee who has ten public holiday days per year and takes 15 vacation days, the weekly salary would drop down to $446 per week.

While working at Mcdonald’s you will normally be paid every two weeks (bi-weekly). This would mean that every two weeks, an employee who works 80 hours would earn an average of $986 before adjustments for holidays and vacation days. After adjustments, the earnings would be $892.

These are all gross income calculations. That means it shows what someone would earn before tax. For a more accurate calculation, the employee would need to find a net income calculator and add in the tax they would pay to give them their take-home income.

How much do McDonald’s pay per month?

When using these same calculations and bump them up to monthly pay, the average McDonald’s employee would earn $2137 per month unadjusted and $1932 adjusted. This is based on the same calculations as used for the weekly pay discussed earlier, with 40 hours per week, ten holiday days per year, and 15 vacation days. This is also gross pay, meaning no tax deductions are applied yet.

How much do McDonald’s pay per year?

Finally, the one question most people are interested in before applying for a job: How much will I earn per year as an employee?

Based on the same calculations as the previous two examples, McDonald’s employees will make $25,646 per year unadjusted and when adjusted with holidays and vacation days, it will be $23,180. Once again, this is gross pay, not net pay. So taxes will be deducted.

What are the benefits of working at McDonald’s?

The numerous benefits of a job at McDonald’s are another reason that people may choose to work for the company. For example, the company offers a range of different insurances such as:

While almost all McDonald’s employees are happy with the insurance benefits (around 80% according to a recent survey), some argue that they are of lower quality than equivalent private health insurance companies.

There is also access to:

Apart from this, you can argue that the holiday pay is about average, but the lack of maternity leave might be a problem. Also, there’s only a certain amount of paid leave that you’ll have access to because it is earned depending on the hours you have previously worked.

Other than that, flexibility is a great benefit when working with McDonald’s as the work schedules are very flexible, with some restaurants working 24/7, giving workers a large option for when to work shifts. Apart from that, some roles even give workers the option to work from home.

In terms of health and wellness, some McDonald’s locations have an on-site gym and those that don’t often offer gym membership plans.

Now for the benefits that most people care about, financial perks, which include:

While the starting hourly pay may not seem like much, plenty of students pursue a career with McDonald’s due to the tuition reimbursement benefits.

What are the pay differences across the various roles at McDonald’s?

The biggest variables to salary when working at McDonald’s are:

In terms of “What is the minimum wage at McDonald’s?”, well, that would be either a cook at $10.88 per hour or a cashier at $10.36 per hour.

However, if you were to work up the ranks into higher-ranked employees’ hourly rates, you will find that they earn more, such as a shift manager at $13.33 per hour and a general manager at $17.44 per hour.

There are also other higher earning positions in the McDonald’s franchise, such as HVAC technicians, who are responsible for fixing the cooling and heating systems across various McDonald’s locations. HVAC technicians are the highest paid in this field, earning up to $27.30 per hour, which is higher than the average yearly income across the US.

A quick fact to finish up about McDonald’s pay differences is that only 37% of all employees believe they are paid fairly for their role at McDonald’s

How old do I have to be to work at McDonald’s

The minimum age to work at McDonald’s is 14 with a parent’s consent. Minors under 16 are not allowed to work past seven when attending school, while those who are 16 years and over are not limited and can be on the closing shift if the restaurant they are working at is not at a 24/7 venue. However, some US states do not allow McDonald’s to hire anyone younger than 15 years old.

It is also up to the individual franchise owners to decide whether they will hire people that young. Some will decide not to take the risk of hiring people that young, especially if there is someone older (and possibly more responsible) who can fill the position.

For more information, take a look at our informative How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Mcdonald’s guide.

How much do 15-year-olds get paid at McDonald’s?

Due to a recent change in 2023, 15-year-old employees will now be paid the average minimum wage of $7.25. This is a big issue as Federal law states that 15-year-olds cannot work over eight hours a day, no more than three hours on a school day, not over 40 hours a week, and no more than 18 hours per week while in school. 

This means that while in school, 15-year-olds can only earn a maximum gross pay of $130.50 per week. When not in school, this would jump up to a maximum gross pay of $290 per week for 40 hours of work. Once again, this is just an average across the country; in some places, the minimum wage can jump up to close to $20 per hour or can be as low as $6.

Also, there are some areas across the US where students can work as much as 28 hours per week. Plus, keep in mind that student salaries apply to anyone below the age of 18.

Want To Work At The Famous Franchise? 

Then check out our in-depth guide to the McDonalds Application as well as the most common McDonalds Interview Questions. Or find out Does McDonalds Drug Test and Does McDonalds Run Background Checks if you happen to have a criminal record and are thinking of applying in 2023.

Or, to learn more about the company, take a look at our informative McDonalds Mission And Vision Statement Analysis; or you might be curious about Do McDonalds Pay Weekly?

However, you may have some non-work-related questions about Mickey D’s; if so, find out Does McDonalds Have An All Day Breakfast, When Does McDonalds Serve Lunch, Are McDonald’s Fries Vegetarian, Do McDonald’s Frappes Have Caffeine, or perhaps Does McDonalds Sell Ice, or Does McDonalds Sell Cake for a special treat!

How Much Does McDonald’s Pay? – Final Thoughts

While Mcdonald’s starting wage isn’t much, there are a few perks when employed by the fast foods number 1. 

There are some great things about Mcdonald’s, such as the fact that they employ the largest number of students and first-time workers across the globe. This gives them their first work experience, some pocket money, and then over time, shows them the essential skill of working up through a company to gain a better position and higher pay.

Secondly, Mcdonald’s is by far the biggest name in the fast food industry, with 85% of Americans eating there at least once a year. This shows that the fast food giant is constantly expanding and always searching for new employees.

While the benefits of working at Mcdonald’s may not seem overly impressive, they are not below the industry standard. As you move up the ranks, they clearly get better with Managers having access to a 401k retirement savings plan and managers’ salaries, which, when compared to a new entry-level starting at 15-year-old is not that bad.

Have fun working at McDonald’s!