Cooks, Short Order Salary
Cooks, Short Orders in California make a median of $42,930 a year, or about $20.64 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $40,447 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 83.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $43K get you in California?
About cooks, short orders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for cooks, short order, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 83.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level cooks, short orders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Cooks, Short Order salary by metro in California
24 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $46K | +8% | 700 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $46K | +7% | 1,660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $46K | +7% | 4,430 |
| Vallejo | $45K | +6% | 240 |
| Napa | $44K | +2% | 150 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | +2% | 12,410 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $43K | +0% | N/A |
| Yuba City | $42K | -1% | 80 |
| Salinas | $41K | -6% | 260 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $39K | -8% | 60 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $39K | -9% | 210 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $38K | -10% | 330 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $38K | -10% | 1,800 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $38K | -11% | 360 |
| Fresno | $38K | -11% | 930 |
| Modesto | $38K | -11% | 370 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $38K | -11% | 320 |
| Visalia | $38K | -12% | 280 |
| Chico | $38K | -12% | 190 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $37K | -13% | 390 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $37K | -13% | 1,830 |
| Redding | $37K | -14% | 100 |
| Merced | $36K | -16% | 140 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $36K | -17% | 2,280 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 metros
Compare to other states
Track cooks, short order salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
Related careers in Food Service
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooks, short order afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 83.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooks, short orders in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooks, short orders typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,153/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 115% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooks, short order a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $43K here vs. $36K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for cooks, short orders?
California pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooks, short orders make in California?
The median is $42,930 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,880, and experienced cooks, short orders can clear $47,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,970/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 83.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooks, short order salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooks, short order salary is worth about $40,447 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooks, short orders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.