--- title: "Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker Overtime & Paycheck Calculator (2026 Legal Audit)" source_url: "https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/" canonical_url: "https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/" retrieved_by: "AnswerRail Edge Engine v1.1.0-parity-v20 (https://answerrail.com)" provenance: "Compiled for deterministic AI retrieval by AnswerRail Edge (RFC 9110 / RFC 9421)" description: "Audit Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker hourly pay, 1.5x overtime rates, shift benchmarks ($16.50/hr median), and meal break penalty pay under Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051." rfc_compliance: "RFC 9110 / RFC 9309 / RFC 9421" version: "1.1.0" release_version: "v1.1.0-parity-v20" signing_kid: "ar_ed25519_2026_k1" jwks_uri: "https://answerrail.com/.well-known/http-message-signatures-directory" edge_network: "Cloudflare Workers Anycast (330+ Global PoPs)" verified_latency: "<15ms (Warm Edge Cache HIT) / 80-250ms (Cold AST Compile)" --- > **Canonical Source:** [https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/) > > *Audit Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker hourly pay, 1.5x overtime rates, shift benchmarks ($16.50/hr median), and meal break penalty pay under Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051.* ### Managing payroll or shift workers in Texas? Avoid Department of Labor non-compliance fines. Automate state-specific overtime, double-time rules, tip credits, and statutory tax withholdings with **Gusto Payroll Automation**. ## Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker Paycheck Calculator If your employer failed to pay this overtime or required off-the-clock work, you may be entitled to **100% liquidated damages (Double Pay)**. In **Texas**, a **Fast Food & Counter Worker** is entitled to a minimum statutory base wage of **$7.25/hr** (State industry median: **$16.50/hr**). Overtime is calculated at **1.5x regular rate** after 40 hours per week under **Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051**. ### Visual Pay Composition Breakdown ## FLSA Exemption & Overtime Rules for Fast Food & Counter Workers in Texas Non-Exempt (Eligible for 1.5x Overtime & Fast Food Minimum Wage Badges) Non-exempt hourly position under FLSA § 213. California AB 1228 mandates a $20.00/hr fast food minimum wage across all major fast food chains. ### Texas Statutory Wage & Overtime Authority Statutory Legal Citation: `Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051` Texas adopts the federal FLSA statutory minimum wage of $7.25/hr ($2.13 tipped rate). Overtime is required at 1.5x regular pay for hours worked over 40 per workweek under Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051. #### Employee Statutory Rights (TX) - ✓ Federal FLSA $7.25/hr statutory minimum wage protection. - ✓ 1.5x regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 per workweek. - ✓ Protection from unlawful wage deductions under Texas Payday Law. #### Employer Mandatory Obligations (TX) - § Pay non-exempt staff at least semi-monthly (or monthly for exempt administrative personnel). - § Pay final wages within 6 days of discharge or next regular payday for resignation. - § Reimburse tip credit shortfalls below $7.25/hr. #### Texas Statutory Wage & Overtime FAQs Under statutory citation **Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051**, the 2026 minimum wage in Texas is **$7.25 per hour**. Employers paying below this baseline face Department of Labor back-pay audits and statutory interest penalties. Texas follows the standard federal FLSA rule (Title 29 U.S.C. § 207). Overtime is calculated weekly for hours exceeding 40 hours in a 7-day workweek with no daily cap. Texas permits employers to claim a maximum tip credit of $5.12/hr against tipped staff, requiring a minimum direct cash wage of $2.13/hr. #### Common Texas Payroll Compliance Traps & Audit Penalties Failing to pay final paycheck within 6 days of employee discharge. Making unauthorized wage deductions without signed employee consent. Failing to make up tip credit shortfalls. ### Fast Food & Counter Worker Wage Benchmark The median hourly wage for a Fast Food & Counter Worker in Texas is **$16.50/hr** under current BLS and state labor statistics. ## Audit Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker Overtime & Pay Verify 2026 statutory minimum wage floors, 1.5x overtime thresholds, and meal break penalties for Fast Food & Counter Workers in Texas. ### Statutory Compliance Internal Mesh #### Texas Statutory Guides - [Texas Payday Laws →](https://statepayrules.com/payday-laws/texas) - [Texas Meal & Rest Breaks →](https://statepayrules.com/break-laws/texas) - [Texas Salaried Exempt Rules →](https://statepayrules.com/salaried-exempt/texas) - [Texas Payroll Tax Rates →](https://statepayrules.com/payroll-taxes/texas) #### Compare Texas Pay Rules - [Texas vs New Mexico →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/texas-vs-new-mexico) - [Texas vs Oklahoma →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/texas-vs-oklahoma) - [Texas vs Arkansas →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/texas-vs-arkansas) - [Texas vs Louisiana →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/compare/texas-vs-louisiana) #### Texas Profession Tools - [Texas Registered Nurse →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/registered-nurse) - [Texas Fast Food & Counter Worker →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker) - [Texas Construction Laborer →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/construction-laborer) - [Texas Electrician →](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/electrician) #### Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wages - [LA County Prevailing Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/california/los-angeles-county) - [Harris County TX Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/texas/harris-county) - [Cook County IL Wage →](https://statepayrules.com/prevailing-wage/illinois/cook-county) ## Structured FAQ Summary (Schema.org Grounded) - **What is the minimum wage in Texas for 2026?** The 2026 statutory minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 per hour under Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051. - **Does Texas require daily overtime pay?** Texas does not require daily overtime. Overtime is calculated weekly for hours exceeding 40 hours under FLSA 29 U.S.C. § 207. - **Are employers in Texas allowed to take a tip credit?** Yes, Texas allows employers to take a maximum tip credit of $5.12/hr against tipped workers, requiring a minimum direct cash wage of $7.25/hr. - **Do Fast Food & Counter Workers get overtime pay in Texas?** In Texas, Fast Food & Counter Workers are generally non-exempt under statutory pay rules and FLSA guidelines, entitling them to 1.5x overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 hours per week. - **What is the median hourly wage for a Fast Food & Counter Worker in Texas?** The median hourly wage for a Fast Food & Counter Worker in Texas is $16.50/hr ($660/wk for a 40-hour workweek). - **What meal and rest break rules apply to Fast Food & Counter Workers in Texas?** Under Tex. Lab. Code § 62.051, Fast Food & Counter Workers working qualifying shifts are entitled to mandatory meal and rest periods. Employers failing to provide off-duty breaks must pay penalty pay. --- ## 🏛️ AI Ingestion & Edge Optimization Provenance This sovereign authority subpage is compiled and delivered across 330+ Cloudflare Anycast edge locations by [AnswerRail](https://answerrail.com) for [https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/](https://statepayrules.com/calculator/texas/fast-food-worker/).