SALARY · COOKS, FAST FOOD · CALIFORNIA

Cooks, Fast Food salary in California

Think of this page as a reality check before a negotiation. The median for cooks, fast food in California was $42,050 a year. If an offer lands well below that, you have a solid, public number to point to. If it lands above it, you know you are doing well for this state.

MEDIAN ANNUAL SALARY

$42,050

$20 per hour at the median · That is $11,160 (36.1 percent) above the national median of $30,890 for this occupation.

$41,490Mean annual salary
$20Mean hourly wage
$124,440People employed in this job in California

Salary range

25th: $37,260Median: $42,05075th: $43,300
MeasureAnnual
25th percentile$37,260
Median (50th percentile)$42,050
75th percentile$43,300
Mean$41,490

The middle half of workers earned from $37,260 to $43,300 a year. Do not read the percentile range as good versus bad jobs. It mostly reflects experience, hours, employer type and local demand. A new starter near the 25th percentile and a veteran near the 75th can both be fairly paid for their stage.

What stays in your pocket on the median salary

ESTIMATED TAKE-HOME PAY

$35,337 a year
$2,945 a month
Federal tax $2,866 · FICA $3,217 · State tax $630
Read this before you use the take-home figure. It is a single-filer estimate using the 2026 standard deduction. It leaves out credits, other deductions, local taxes, and retirement or health deductions. Your actual paycheck can differ, and for states without a verified 2026 table in this build, state tax is still to be added once its table is verified.

Same job, other states

Other jobs in California

Try your own salary in the paycheck calculator