Cooks, Fast Food salary · California
Cooks, Fast Food Salary in California
Cooks, Fast Food in California earn a median of $42,050 a year, which is $20.21 an hour. That is $11,160 above the national median of $30,890, a difference of 36 percent. The state employs 124,440.
California against the US May 2025
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $42,050 | $30,890 |
| Median hourly | $20.21 | $14.85 |
| Mean annual | $41,490 | $32,390 |
| 10th percentile | $35,750 | $22,580 |
| 90th percentile | $48,750 | $42,910 |
| Employment | 124,440 | 641,070 |
How California compares
By median pay, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for cooks, fast food. Ranking is on the published median only. It says nothing about how far that salary goes once housing, state income tax and commuting are paid, and those differences between states are frequently larger than the pay gap itself.
Other states for cooks, fast food May 2025
| State | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $34,960 | $16.81 | 13,430 |
| Florida | $29,900 | $14.37 | 22,600 |
| Missouri | $29,890 | $14.37 | 55,780 |
| Michigan | $29,460 | $14.17 | 14,340 |
| Tennessee | $28,330 | $13.62 | 14,020 |
| Texas | $28,280 | $13.60 | 36,240 |
| Alabama | $27,870 | $13.40 | 26,740 |
| North Carolina | $27,190 | $13.07 | 81,980 |
| Georgia | $26,940 | $12.95 | 12,940 |
| Kentucky | $23,500 | $11.30 | 21,750 |
| West Virginia | $23,120 | $11.12 | 16,490 |
Common questions
How much do cooks, fast food make in California?
The median salary for cooks, fast food in California is $42,050 a year, or $20.21 an hour. That is $11,160 above the national median of $30,890, a difference of 36 percent. California employs 124,440 of them.
Is California a good state to work as a cooks, fast food?
On pay alone, California ranks 1 of the 12 states this site reports for the occupation, by median salary. Pay is only half the question though: a state with a higher median can still leave you with less once housing and taxes are counted, and this site does not adjust for cost of living.
What is the pay range for cooks, fast food in California?
The lowest-paid 10 percent earn $35,750 or less and the highest-paid 10 percent earn $48,750 or more. The middle half falls between $37,260 and $43,300.
Where these numbers come from
Published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 release, for SOC code 35-2011 in California. Nothing on this page is interpolated or averaged by this site. See the national cooks, fast food salary page for the full picture, or how to read these figures for what the survey covers.