The fast-food industry is notorious for its lax recruitment criteria, allowing minors and people without previous working experience or much formal education to find their first employment. Taco Bell makes no exclusion. But before applying for a job at this Mexican-inspired quick-service restaurant, you may want to know how much does Taco Bell pay?
This question is far more complex than it first appears to be. After all, you need to consider the position, the franchise you’re looking for employment at, and several other factors. Then, there are benefits, part-time conditions, and more to put on the scale.
With all of this in mind and without further ado, here’s how much Taco Bell pays in 2022.
What Is the Average Wage at Taco Bell?
The average wage at Taco Bell depends on the position, state, and several other factors. Still, when it comes to an entry-level position like a team member, the hourly wage at Taco Bell is $12.82 per hour. While this may not deviate too much from the industry average, salary satisfaction is just 38%.
The wage for food service workers and cooks is somewhat lower. The same goes for kitchen team members. Still, the salaries of managers and general managers are somewhat above the industry average.
Also, it’s worth remembering that a fixed salary versus hourly makes a world of difference in any financial calculation.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per Day?
Taco Bell pays team members $12.82 per hour. Now, remember, depending on whether you’re a part-time worker (either due to your age, preference, or bad relationship with the shift manager), this might come down to different daily wages.
Per day, you stand to earn $102.56 for working eight hours straight. When you progress further with this calculation (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, yearly, etc.), the equation becomes a bit more complex. This is because you have to account for holidays and vacation days. Still, for any day that you work a full eight-hour shift, you get to earn a bit over $100.
Keep in mind that this is not a take-home pay but your gross income. To calculate your net pay, you’ll have to do a different equation – a more individual one.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per Week?
Working 40 hours per week, you stand to earn $513. This, however, is just a rough weekly Taco Bell pay estimate. Anyone with any work experience whatsoever knows that “perfect weeks” are nearly impossible. This is why a far more accurate calculation is adjusted for holidays and vacation days. So, let’s imagine a standard work year where you have ten holidays per year and 15 vacation days. When you make these adjustments and translate them to your weekly income, you’ll get an approximate wage of $463 a week.
Other than just asking questions like “How much does Taco Bell pay?” people often want to know when they pay. The most common payment model is a bi-weekly one, even though this is up to each franchise to choose. Now, following the same model as before, you get an unadjusted bi-weekly salary of $1,026 and an adjusted pay of $927 every two weeks.
Some franchises pay semi-monthly, which is quite similar to the bi-weekly model (similar but not the same). In these franchises, the Taco Bell wage is paid twice per month (usually on the 15th and 30th of every month). The discrepancy in the number of working days causes the calculation to be different, as well. So, a semi-monthly salary at Taco Bell (unadjusted) is $1,111. When adjusted for holidays and vacation days, you get left with $1,004.
Once again, this is merely your gross pay which means that another adjustment awaits you down the line.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per Month?
Per month, you stand to earn $2,222 of unadjusted pay working at Taco Bell. When adjusted for ten holidays per year and 15 vacation days, you’ll be left with somewhere closer to $2,008 each month. Keep in mind that while this is a bit low, it’s a gross monthly income calculation based on the Taco Bell starting pay.
Remember, this is a pay for a team member, which is one of the lowest-paid positions at Taco Bell. Kitchen members, cooks, and food service workers (on average) get paid even less. At the same time, restaurant managers, shift leaders, and people in the management have a far superior income.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per Year?
Your total annual income at Taco Bell will be around $26,666 unadjusted and $24,102 adjusted.
The biggest thing about calculating your Taco Bell annual pay is that the discrepancies are far more significant than in the weekly and monthly estimates. On a yearly basis, you’ll have more or less sick days and holidays. Since we’re taking Taco Bell hourly pay as a basic unit in this equation, the number of these hours is what matters the most.
Also, the basic calculation assumes 52 working weeks and 260 weekdays, which is a principle that doesn’t apply every year. In other words, it’s just a crude estimate based on mathematical averages to give you some idea of what you’re working with – not an exact figure to plan your finances on.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per State?
Every Taco Bell restaurant is a separate franchise with the right to adjust the wages to the state average. This is why the Taco Bell average pay in California is not the same as the one in Texas. With that in mind and without further ado, here’s how Taco Bell pays per state.
How much does Taco Bell pay in California?
A kitchen team member in California makes $14.52 per hour. This seems quite impressive compared to the Taco Bell average of $11.70 for this position. The same goes for all the other positions.
A cook in an average California-based Taco Bell makes $14.71 per hour.
Restaurant staff members in this state make $15.15 per hour.
A general manager of a Taco Bell restaurant in California will make $21.06 for an hour’s work.
And an assistant general manager makes roughly $17.45 per hour.
How much does Taco Bell pay in Texas?
Wages in Texas-based Taco Bell restaurants are significantly lower than those in some other states.
For instance, a kitchen team member gets just $9.38 per hour.
A cook in a Texas franchise of Taco Bell will get $9.47 per hour.
The restaurant staff of Taco Bell in Texas gets paid $11.63 per hour.
How much does Taco Bell pay in Georgia?
The wages of Taco Bell employees in Georgia are also slightly lower than the national average, even if they aren’t exactly the highest. While they’re comparable to the rest of the fast-food industry, they’re definitely far from the top.
A restaurant staff member working at Taco Bell in Georgia will earn $12.09 per hour.
A kitchen team member gets paid $9.44 per hour.
The work of a cook at Taco Bell in this state is valued at $9.54 per hour.
What Is Taco Bell Starting Pay?
Most people looking for a job as a Taco Bell team member, kitchen team member, or restaurant staff member are likely looking for their first employment. This is why the starting wage at Taco Bell is such a point of interest.
The truth is that the starting pay is between $8 and $12 per hour for most of these positions.
One more thing worth noting is that Taco Bell, like most of its fast-food competitors, hires young employees and minors. This brings us to our next question…
How Old Do You Have to Be to Work at Taco Bell?
To work at Taco Bell, you must be at least 16 years old (in practice).
The thing about hiring 16-year-olds is that they are usually prohibited by law from working more than 3-4 hours a day. This restricts their income by quite a bit and makes them part-time workers.
So, does Taco Bell hire at 14? The answer is – usually not. Some states (like Montana) allow hiring 14-years-olds. But even there, companies like Taco Bell don’t have the custom of hiring employees this young.
It’s also worth mentioning that even in those rare scenarios where the company hires 15 and 16-year-olds, they’re usually position-restricted. This means that they can only take on some jobs, depending on the safety of the position in question.
How much does Taco Bell pay 16-year-olds?
There’s no difference between the hourly wages of Taco Bell employees based on their age.
However, there are two things worth stressing out. Namely, as we’ve already mentioned:
- Minors can only work as part-time employees, making their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly salaries somewhat lower.
- Minors can only work in some positions, which further restricts their income. Still, this changes quite rapidly for those who decide to stay for a while.
The majority of misconceptions regarding how much 16-year-olds get paid at Taco Bell come from the lack of understanding of these two basic income-determining factors.
How Much Does Taco Bell Pay per Position?
Perhaps the biggest Taco Bell pay-related determiner is the position that one occupies within the company. That being said:
- A team member gets paid $12.82 per hour. This is $1,111 monthly and $26,666 annually.
- A cook makes $12.43 per hour, which is $2,155 monthly and $25,854 annually.
- A restaurant manager will earn $15.85 per hour. Monthly, this is $2,747, while annually, it comes down to $32,968.
- A Taco Bell general manager gets an hourly pay that is somewhat higher, which results in them earning an average of $52,227 per year.
One more thing worth stressing out is that all the Taco Bell salary calculation above is unadjusted (without holiday and vacation days counted in). Also, this is under the presumption that you work 40 hours per week. In other words, part-time employees will come out of this with somewhat different results.
Also, as we’ve already mentioned, the results vary by state.
Taco Bell Benefits
Other than just thinking about the Taco Bell hourly wage, focusing on benefits might be just as important.
In terms of insurance, there are:
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Disability insurance
- Health insurance
When it comes to leave benefits, Taco Bell employees have access to:
- Parental leave
- Paid time off
In terms of workplace flexibility, people working at Taco Bell rely on:
- Work from home (in certain positions)
- Flexible work hours
Seeing how it employs people from all walks of life, Taco Bell considers your childcare needs, too.
In terms of financial perks that Taco Bell employees have access to, there are:
- Bonus pay
- Monthly pay
- Employee discounts
- Quarterly bonus
- Stock options
- Monthly bonus
Education reimbursement is another reason why so many young people are drawn to work at Taco Bell (other than their lax requirements for previous work experience).
Those who work at the management level can also count on a retirement plan.
Wrap Up
The average hourly pay for an entry-level job at Taco Bell is $12.82 per hour. When compared, the Taco Bell pay is similar to that of other companies in the industry. As you progress in your career at Taco Bell, your hourly wage will grow, increasing your weekly, monthly, and yearly income.
The main reason people take these jobs is not for the amazing initial salary. Instead, it allows people to get some early working experience, benefits, or even supplement their income while studying.
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FAQ
The average hourly pay at Taco Bell is $12.82 per hour for a team member, which is one of the most common starting-level jobs. However, the hourly wage depends on the position and the franchise, thus making this estimate a lot harder to make. Also, keep in mind that this is gross pay, which means that you also have to make all the necessary deductions in order to get the end figure.
In theory, you have to be 14-years-old to get a job at Taco Bell. In practice, the company doesn’t have a habit of hiring people younger than 16. Now, keep in mind that minors cannot work full hours, so their shift is usually limited to 3-4 hours per day. As a result, they get a lower daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly wage.
The highest-paid job in fast food has more to do with the position than the restaurant itself. A restaurant manager is bound to get the highest wage, excluding positions reserved for the upper management. As far as the restaurant comparison goes, trying to answer questions like “How much does Taco Bell pay” and then trying to figure out if the wage is higher than at McDonald’s leads to misleading results. There are so many factors at play, which is why each case must be examined individually.