McDonald's Employee Reveals How She Makes More Money From Posting A Two Minute Video Than Working An Entire Summer
She points out the difficult reality for minimum wage workers who work tirelessly just to make ends meet.
@kaisbubbletea / TikTok A McDonald’s employee is shedding light on the tough reality for those with minimum-wage jobs after she revealed the easy way she makes far more than her average salary in just a few minutes than she does standing on her feet and dealing with the public for hours at a time.
While sharing that she is “grateful” that she is able to make some extra money on top of her minimum-wage job, the employee admits that it also makes her sad for those who dedicate so much of themselves to their work and are still barely able to afford basic necessities.
The McDonald’s employee shares that she earned $3,595.05 after posting a two-minute TikTok video.
Kai (@kaisbubbletea) detailed her dual career as a McDonald’s employee and a content creator in a TikTok video that has received over 135,000 views. She compares her earnings from her jobs and points out the injustices of a minimum wage salary.
Kai reveals that she recently joined a creativity data program that allows her to make money from posting videos on her TikTok account. In order for creators and influencers to earn a profit from posting content, the videos must be longer than a minute.
According to Kai, she usually makes $1.30 to $1.50 for every 1,000 views on her videos. However, one of her videos in particular went viral on the app, bringing in a total of $3,595.05.
“I get paid $13.50 an hour at McDonald’s,” Kai says. “$3,000 is an entire summer’s worth of me working at McDonald’s, and I made that in a day.”
The video, which has been viewed 3.2 million times in just two months, depicts Kai sitting in the McDonald’s restaurant enjoying a meal during her break. As she sits, she is approached by a customer who inquires about the limited-time and popular “Grimace Shake” that the chain had been selling, and asks where he can find the character Grimace.
She also records another customer berating employees over her fry order, which she claims is too cold.
“I made $3,000 in a day,” Kai says. “I’m so grateful that I was able to have that.”
At the same time, she cannot help but feel sad for those who are working hard every day at minimum-wage jobs and are still struggling to pay their bills.
“These influencers are out here making so much money and they’re not putting in nearly as much effort as your day-to-day normal f–king person,” Kai points out. “I’m very grateful but it also makes me sad because that’s so much money. To know how hard people work and they don’t get to see that much money as quickly as I was able to make that [video].”
Since she is both a minimum-wage worker and earns a side income on social media, Kai claims that she feels an “obligation to be transparent” about the differences in her jobs, notably the incomes they bring in.
TikTok users thanked Kai for her transparency and wished her a successful financial future.
“Thanks for being transparent, it’s actually so interesting! You deserve it girly. I love keeping up with your videos,” one user commented. “You deserve it, girl. I hope it continues to go well for you,” another user wrote.
Other users who also worked minimum wage jobs agreed that it was sad that they are not earning nearly as much money as they are working for.
“I was at $9.25 and they kept teasing me with, ‘you’ll get a raise next month,’” one user shared.
“We get paid $14.25,” another user added.
Minimum wage workers are working a tremendous amount, yet many of them still struggle to pay their bills.
While minimum wage laws vary depending on the state, there are currently 30 states that have minimum wages that are above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. Georgia and Wyoming are the only two states that have a minimum wage that is below $7.25.
Although minimum wages were implemented to ensure that workers lived above the poverty line, the federal minimum wage typically does not cover the cost of living or basic necessities, and many workers are struggling to make ends meet.
A 2022 report published by The National Low Income Housing Coalition revealed that “in no state, metropolitan area or county can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a modest two-bedroom rental home, and these workers cannot afford modest one-bedroom apartments in 91% of U.S. counties.”
One should not have to spend a significant majority of their life working overtime at minimum wage jobs just to be able to afford a bed to sleep in. If an influencer can earn thousands just for sharing a video of themselves sitting and chatting with viewers, then those who work in customer service assisting the public hands-on should receive the same treatment.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.