Cooks, Short Order pay in California
$42,260avg. a year
$20.32 an hour · 30,740 employed
Cooks, Short Order in California earn an average of $42,260 a year. That is $6,140 (17%) more than the U.S. average of $36,120. The best-paying metro area is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $46,250.
$42,930Median pay
$20.32Average hourly
+32%Avg. pay since 2020
#8Of 48 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for cooks, short order by metro area. Swipe to see all 24.
14,430 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$46,250
$22.24 an hour
21,660 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$45,720
$21.98 an hour
3700 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$45,590
$21.92 an hour
4150 jobs
Napa, CA
$44,260
$21.28 an hour
5240 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$44,070
$21.19 an hour
612,410 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$42,440
$20.40 an hour
7260 jobs
Salinas, CA
$41,920
$20.16 an hour
8
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$41,900
$20.14 an hour
91,800 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$41,130
$19.78 an hour
10210 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$41,130
$19.77 an hour
11370 jobs
Modesto, CA
$40,710
$19.57 an hour
1280 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$40,460
$19.45 an hour
13320 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$40,270
$19.36 an hour
14360 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$40,200
$19.33 an hour
151,830 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$39,760
$19.12 an hour
1660 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$39,280
$18.88 an hour
17390 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$39,030
$18.77 an hour
18330 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$39,020
$18.76 an hour
19190 jobs
Chico, CA
$38,910
$18.71 an hour
20280 jobs
Visalia, CA
$38,750
$18.63 an hour
21930 jobs
Fresno, CA
$38,560
$18.54 an hour
22140 jobs
Merced, CA
$38,400
$18.46 an hour
23100 jobs
Redding, CA
$38,160
$18.35 an hour
242,280 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$37,950
$18.25 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, Short Order pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California cooks, short order work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
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Under $32k$32k–$35k$35k–$40k$40k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $36,120 | $17.37 |
| California | $42,260 | $20.32 |
| Arizona | $43,360 | $20.85 |
| Oregon | $39,790 | $19.13 |
| Nevada | $35,100 | $16.88 |
Related jobs in California
- Cooks, Restaurant$45,020
- Food Preparation Workers$41,480
- Cooks, Fast Food$41,490
- Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria$47,900
- 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, short order make in California?
The average is $42,260 a year, and the median is $42,930. That is $6,140 (17%) more than the U.S. average of $36,120.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$20.32 an hour on average; the median is $20.64.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($46,250), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($45,720). The lowest average among 24 metro areas with data is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA ($37,950).
How does California rank?
California ranks #8 of 49 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 35-2015. 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, short order 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.