Are Twin Falls ID Fast Food Employees Grossly Underpaid?

Fast-food wages have been in the news recently as some states are considering increasing pay for these staffers. In Idaho, the average pay for an industry professional is less than $15 an hour.

If you want to know just how hard fast food employees work, just drive down Blue Lakes Boulevard in Twin Falls during the noon hour. It's estimated that one in three Americans head to the drive-thru during a typical day, according to safetyandhealthmagazine.com.

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One of the events I've had the privilege of being a part of in Twin Falls over the years has been the McCash For Kids school donation effort. When the event is scheduled, those of us at work that get assigned to a specific Magic Valley McDonald's location spend a few hours broadcasting live and trying to collect cash donations. The money raised from each participating restaurant goes to help kids in southern Idaho get school supplies.

I'm always floored when I carry out the task. I think there's a general misconception that this job is a breeze and that there's no valid reason to pay these professionals anything above minimum wage. Indeed.com lists the average hourly wage of an Idaho fast food worker at $14.59. Policymakers in California are considering raising state wages to $22 an hour.

Not all of these Idaho employees are high school kids working first jobs. Many of these staffers are adults raising kids and need to save every penny earned to make ends meet.

Do you believe Idaho fast food workers are earning a decent wage? Should they be paid more?