How much does Chick-fil-A pay per hour?
Chick-fil-A does not publish a national pay rate for restaurant team members, and the reason is its business model. Its careers support page says most restaurants are individually owned and operated by franchised Operators, so each restaurant has its own pay and benefits package. The company describes those wages as highly competitive and often above minimum wage, but it gives no figure.
Operator postings on Chick-fil-A’s job board spell out who is in charge. A team member listing we viewed on October 8, 2026 said the Operator’s restaurant business, not Chick-fil-A, Inc., would be the employer, and that the Operator alone decides hiring, discipline, compensation, scheduling and supervision.
So an honest answer has three parts:
- The legal minimum wage in your state or city
- The rate a specific Operator posts or offers you
- Occupation-wide data that shows what similar jobs pay
How does the Chick-fil-A Operator model affect pay?
| Question | At a franchised restaurant | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Who is the employer? | The Operator’s restaurant business | Your paycheck, raises and schedule come from the Operator |
| Who sets pay? | The Operator | Two restaurants in the same city can pay different rates |
| Who answers employment questions? | The Operator | Chick-fil-A’s support page tells team members to contact their Operator |
| Who runs the scholarships? | Chick-fil-A, Inc. | Open to team members at franchised, company-owned and affiliated restaurants |
In practice, a question about a raise, a schedule change or a benefit goes to your restaurant’s Operator and leadership team, not to a corporate human resources office. Chick-fil-A’s franchising page calls Operators the franchise owners behind nearly every restaurant. Locations at universities, airports and other venues can be licensed restaurants, which are a separate arrangement.
Many postings list “competitive pay” without an hourly number. Several Dallas and Los Angeles team member postings we checked on October 8, 2026 showed no rate at all, so ask for the starting wage and the raise schedule during the interview.
What does Chick-fil-A pay in California?
California sets a separate, higher minimum wage for fast food chains. California Labor Code section 1475 set a $20 an hour minimum wage for fast food restaurant employees starting April 1, 2024. The law covers limited-service restaurants in national chains with more than 60 establishments, so it reaches Chick-fil-A restaurants in the state, apart from exceptions such as certain airport locations and restaurants inside grocery stores that are staffed by the grocery store’s own employees.
The state’s Fast Food Council may raise that rate each year by up to 3.5% or the change in inflation, whichever is less. It had not adopted an increase as of this update, and CalMatters reported in May 2026 that the council’s meetings were on hold. At $20 an hour, full-time work pays $41,600 a year before taxes, and a 25-hour week pays $26,000. The California minimum wage page lists the general state rate of $16.90 and local rates.
What do fast food jobs like Chick-fil-A pay nationally?
Federal wage data is the best neutral benchmark. In May 2025, BLS reported these national medians across all employers:
| Occupation (BLS) | Median hourly wage | Median yearly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Fast food and counter workers | $15.00 | $31,200 |
| First-line supervisors of food preparation and serving workers | $21.19 | $44,080 |
These are not Chick-fil-A figures, but they show the usual gap between team member and leadership pay, about $6 an hour.
In states that use the $7.25 federal minimum, such as Georgia and Texas, the law sets a low floor, and Operators compete for workers in the local job market instead. Check your state in the minimum wage by state table.
How much does Chick-fil-A pay a year?
Multiply the hourly rate by your weekly hours, then by 52.
| Hourly rate | 20 hours a week | 30 hours a week | 40 hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 (BLS fast food median) | $15,600 | $23,400 | $31,200 |
| $20.00 (California fast food minimum) | $20,800 | $31,200 | $41,600 |
| $21.19 (BLS supervisor median) | $22,038 | $33,056 | $44,075 |
All Chick-fil-A restaurants are closed on Sundays, so a full-time schedule fits into six days. For take-home pay at the national median, see the $15 an hour salary breakdown.
What benefits does Chick-fil-A offer?
Each Operator builds its own package, so benefits vary by restaurant. A few come from the company side:
- Remarkable Futures scholarships. Chick-fil-A, Inc. awarded more than $29 million to over 16,000 team members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico in 2026, which the company calls its highest annual total in more than 50 years of scholarship giving. Awards come in $1,000, $2,500 and $25,000 tiers, are paid up front and can be used at any accredited school, including two-year colleges, online programs and vocational schools.
- No tenure rule for scholarships. You must work at a franchised, company-owned or affiliated restaurant when you apply and when the award is made, but there is no minimum hours or length-of-service requirement, and part-time team members qualify.
- Help with applications. Scholarship America is Chick-fil-A’s scholarship partner, and your Operator can answer questions about which awards are open to you.
- Tuition discounts. Team members, including those employed by franchised Operators, can get discounts on online degree and certificate programs through Scholarship America’s Tuition Reduction Network.
- Sundays off. Every restaurant is closed on Sunday.
Individual Operators may add health insurance, a 401(k), free meals or employee discounts. Those are set restaurant by restaurant, so ask for the benefits list in writing.
How should you compare two Chick-fil-A offers?
Because each Operator sets its own package, compare offers line by line instead of by brand:
| What to compare | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Starting hourly rate | It is the base for every paycheck and for any overtime |
| Expected weekly hours | Hours change yearly pay as much as the rate does |
| Raise schedule | Each Operator sets its own review timing |
| Benefits | Health coverage, retirement savings and paid time off vary by restaurant |
| Meals and discounts | These lower your costs on the days you work |
| Leadership path | Team leader and supervisor roles usually pay more |
Here is a fictional example. Offer A from one Operator pays $16 an hour for about 30 hours a week, which is $24,960 a year. Offer B from a different Operator pays $15 an hour for about 35 hours a week, which is $27,300 a year. The lower rate wins by $2,340 because of the extra hours, as long as those hours really happen.
You can ask for this information directly:
“Could you share the starting hourly rate for this position, the hours I can expect each week, and when pay is reviewed? I’d also like to see a list of the benefits this restaurant offers.”
How can you raise your pay at Chick-fil-A?
- Compare Operators. Neighboring restaurants have different owners, so the same job can pay differently a few miles away.
- Move into leadership. Team leader and shift supervisor roles carry more responsibility, and the BLS supervisor median is about $6 an hour above the team member median.
- Apply for scholarships every year. Chick-fil-A said in 2026 that applications for 2027 team member scholarships would open this fall. A $2,500 award is worth about $2.40 an hour over a year of 20-hour weeks.
- Ask how raises work. Operators set their own review schedules, so ask when and how often pay is reviewed.
- Benchmark other chains. Compare how much McDonald’s pays, and read how many hours is part time if you are weighing a part-time schedule.
How do you prepare for a Chick-fil-A interview?
Operator postings stress hospitality: greeting guests warmly, keeping the dining room clean, working as a team and following food safety rules. Expect questions about serving guests, handling a busy lunch rush and your weekly availability.
Practice with the Chick-fil-A interview quiz, which uses questions you are likely to hear based on published team member requirements.
Pay rules can differ by state and city, so check with your state labor department if you think an offer falls below the legal minimum.
JobQuix is not affiliated with Chick-fil-A. Pay and hiring practices change; check the company’s careers site for current details.