Fast food restaurant salaries have been in the news lately, with some states considering raising salaries for these employees. In Idaho, the average salary for an industry professional is less than $15 per hour.
If you want to know how hard the fast food workers work, walk down Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls during the lunch hour. We think that one on three Americans head to the drive-thru on a typical day, according to safetyandhealthmagazine.com.
One of the events I have had the privilege of attending in Twin Falls over the years has been the McCash School For Kids donation effort. When the event is scheduled, those of us at work who are assigned to a specific Magic Valley McDonald’s location spend a few hours streaming live and trying to collect cash donations. Money raised from each participating restaurant is used to help children in southern Idaho get school supplies.
I am still floored when I perform the task. I think there is a general misconception that this job is child’s play and that there is no good reason to pay these professionals anything above minimum wage. Indeed.com lists the average hourly wage from an Idaho fast food worker at $14.59. California policymakers are considering raise state wages to $22 an hour.
Not all of these Idaho employees are high schoolers working for their first job. Many of these employees are adults raising children and need to save every penny they earn to make ends meet.
Do you believe fast food workers in Idaho earn a living wage? Should we pay them more?
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