Cooks, Fast Food pay in California
$41,490avg. a year
$19.95 an hour · 124,440 employed
Cooks, Fast Food in California earn an average of $41,490 a year. That is $9,100 (28%) more than the U.S. average of $32,390. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $46,590.
$42,050Median pay
$19.95Average hourly
+41%Avg. pay since 2020
#3Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for cooks, fast food by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
110,160 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$46,590
$22.40 an hour
24,790 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$46,530
$22.37 an hour
31,150 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$44,360
$21.33 an hour
4370 jobs
Napa, CA
$43,910
$21.11 an hour
51,050 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$43,620
$20.97 an hour
61,430 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$42,120
$20.25 an hour
7710 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$42,030
$20.21 an hour
81,100 jobs
Salinas, CA
$41,940
$20.16 an hour
91,620 jobs
Modesto, CA
$41,900
$20.14 an hour
1010,630 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$41,710
$20.05 an hour
1116,910 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$41,430
$19.92 an hour
12390 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$41,400
$19.91 an hour
132,520 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$41,330
$19.87 an hour
14850 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$41,230
$19.82 an hour
158,020 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$40,910
$19.67 an hour
162,260 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$40,780
$19.61 an hour
17330 jobs
El Centro, CA
$40,360
$19.40 an hour
182,450 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$40,330
$19.39 an hour
19580 jobs
Chico, CA
$40,300
$19.37 an hour
2048,440 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$40,210
$19.33 an hour
21450 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$40,150
$19.31 an hour
22470 jobs
Redding, CA
$40,000
$19.23 an hour
23660 jobs
Merced, CA
$39,880
$19.17 an hour
241,410 jobs
Visalia, CA
$39,830
$19.15 an hour
253,910 jobs
Fresno, CA
$39,650
$19.06 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooks, Fast Food pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California cooks, fast food work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $29k$29k–$32k$32k–$36k$36k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $32,390 | $15.57 |
| California | $41,490 | $19.95 |
| Oregon | $39,310 | $18.90 |
| Nevada | $34,060 | $16.37 |
| Arizona | $33,330 | $16.02 |
Related jobs in California
- Cooks, Restaurant$45,020
- Food Preparation Workers$41,480
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$47,900
- Cooks, Short Order$42,260
- Fast Food and Counter Workers$41,680
- Waiters and Waitresses$44,600
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do cooks, fast food make in California?
The average is $41,490 a year, and the median is $42,050. That is $9,100 (28%) more than the U.S. average of $32,390.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$19.95 an hour on average; the median is $20.21.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($46,590), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($46,530). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Fresno, CA ($39,650).
How does California rank?
California ranks #3 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-2011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national cooks, fast food page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.