Fast food crew pay compared in 2026| Employer | Crew pay range | Company owned or franchised |
|---|
| Chipotle | $15 to $22 an hour | Almost entirely company owned |
| Raising Cane's | $14 to $18 an hour | Company owned |
| McDonald's | $10 to $18 an hour | About 95% franchised |
| Burger King | $10 to $16 an hour | Mostly franchised |
| Wendy's | $10 to $16 an hour | Mostly franchised |
What does a Chipotle crew member earn per week and per year?
A $17 an hour rate is about $680 a week and $35,000 a year before overtime. That figure assumes a full-time schedule of roughly 40 hours a week at one restaurant.
The spread widens at the top of the range. At $20 an hour the same schedule brings $800 a week, and at $22 an hour it brings $880 a week, or about $45,800 a year over 52 weeks.
Part-time schedules scale down cleanly. A crew member working 24 hours a week at $17 an hour earns $408 a week and roughly $21,200 a year, before the free meals are counted.
Crew members working over 40 hours a week are paid time and a half, so the extra hours carry a 50 percent premium on top of the base rate rather than the standard hourly wage.
Add the free meal and the arithmetic changes. At $17 an hour with five free meals a week, the package of wage and food is worth close to $20 an hour in real terms.
Chipotle crew member gross earnings at four common rates| Schedule | At $15 an hour | At $17 an hour | At $20 an hour | At $22 an hour |
|---|
| 24 hours a week | $360 | $408 | $480 | $528 |
| 40 hours a week | $600 | $680 | $800 | $880 |
| 40 hours, annualized | $31,200 | $35,360 | $41,600 | $45,760 |
| 45 hours, including 5 hours of overtime | $712 | $807 | $950 | $1,045 |
What benefits come with a Chipotle crew member job?
The standout benefit is a free meal on every shift, worth roughly $10 to $13. Chipotle gives one entree, one drink and one side to every crew member who works a shift, which is one of the largest per-hour benefits in fast food.
Health coverage follows a 90-day waiting period for eligible crew members, and the wider package includes paid time off, a health savings account option, health care and dependent care spending accounts, and confidential financial counselling.
Retirement matching starts after one year of service. Chipotle matches 100% of the first 3% of pay you contribute and 50% of the next 2%, so the company contribution caps at 4% of pay, and eligible student loan payments are matched as an extra contribution.
Leave is part of the package too, with parental leave for eligible staff, plus life event leave and mental health support that cost the crew member nothing at the point of use.
Chipotle crew benefits and who qualifies| Benefit | Who qualifies | What to know |
|---|
| Free meal each shift | All crew members | One entree, one drink and one side per shift |
| Health coverage | Eligible crew after 90 days | Health, dental and vision plan options |
| Paid time off | Eligible crew members | Accrues with hours worked |
| 401(k) match | After one year of service | 100% of the first 3% and 50% of the next 2% |
| Tuition assistance | Eligible staff | Up to $5,250 a year through You Go Grad |
| Financial counselling | All crew members | Free and confidential online portal |
How much tuition help does Chipotle pay for crew members?
Chipotle pays up to $5,250 a year toward education, and some crew members can finish a degree with no tuition at all. The You Go Grad program covers tuition, fees and other eligible expenses for the year.
The Debt-Free Degree program goes further for workers who pick one of the approved courses, and family members can use the same tuition assistance for classes on a pre-designated list, so the benefit reaches beyond the crew member.
Student loan payments count too. Under the Secure 2.0 rules, Chipotle matches eligible student loan payments as an additional retirement contribution, provided you are enrolled in the 401(k) plan.
This is the clearest route from crew member to management. Chipotle builds its internal promotion path on the idea that a manager should have worked the line, and the degree benefit is part of how it fills those roles from within.
The tuition cap is a ceiling, not a promise. A crew member working 20 hours a week earns less than one working 40 hours, so the realistic use for most crew members is one class at a time rather than a full degree.
How do Chipotle crew members move into management?
The ladder runs crew member, apprentice, shift lead, then general manager. Chipotle trains every new crew member on every station within the first 60 to 90 days, so the skills you pick up are broad by design.
The Apprentice program is the first rung, and it is the step most people hear about. Apprentices are crew members being developed for kitchen manager responsibility, and the role pays $18 to $26 an hour with an average near $21.
General managers own the restaurant, the schedule and the budget, and they are salaried. Total pay reaches $75,000 to $100,000 a year once bonuses are counted, which is the ceiling of the ladder.
Reviews happen regularly and pay increases are tied to time in role as well as performance. Chipotle publishes that ladder, which is unusual in fast food and one of the reasons crews stay.
Cross-training also protects the schedule. When you can open, close, grill and run the register, a restaurant can cover absences without calling anyone in, which keeps hours steady for the whole crew.
What should you ask before accepting a Chipotle job?
Ask for the exact rate at your restaurant and your shift, not for the company range. Chipotle sets a national minimum, but each store posts its own rate based on local competition and the state minimum in force.
Knowing the Chipotle crew member hourly pay rate for your market before you apply keeps the comparison honest and the expectations clear.
Ask whether the rate changes by shift. Some restaurants pay a small differential for late-night or closing shifts, and it is not always printed in the posting, so it is worth asking during the interview.
Ask how many hours are guaranteed each week and how far ahead the schedule is published. Part-time crew members can pick up extra shifts, and those hours are paid at the same base rate.
Ask when the first review falls and what raises it triggers. Chipotle's published approach ties increases to time in role and performance, and knowing the timeline makes it easier to plan a budget around.
Next steps
Compare the posted rate for a specific restaurant before you apply, and read the benefits list as carefully as the wage.
Photo: Mirko_Fabian, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/photos/buffet-catering-cafeteria-kitchen-7165148/)
Fazlur Rahman
